


Devil's Blood: An Inspector Gadget & Gadget Boy Adventure

by systemcat



Category: Gadget Boy & Heather (Cartoon), Inspector Gadget (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, devils blood, iron and steel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 13:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 87,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14426763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/systemcat/pseuds/systemcat
Summary: This is set after the events in the webcomic Iron and steel. A plague is being spread and MAD is behind it. But where it originally came from? Inspector Gadget knows. He also knows he's going to have to work with Jake Anatech this AU's Gadget Boy, to put it to rest. While in the meantime a trio of former MAD Agents try to take revenge on their former employer.





	Devil's Blood: An Inspector Gadget & Gadget Boy Adventure

Devil's Blood: An Inspector Gadget & Gadget Boy Adventure

 

Chapter 1:

  
\- The Gadget Gang in Flight -

"Madam? Madam? Girl?," asked an airline stewardess leaning in towards Penny Heyward's plane seat.

"Third person, right? I have permission for him. He has papers." Penny answered, tired of explaining the companion sitting beside her half asleep with his head and forelegs in her lap.

"As you've told others who work with me. You sound so sure. Madam, who gave you authorization for this animal? He does not appear to be a service dog." The lady continued to question the 17 year old blond, mildly glaring about the line of conversation directed at her.

"HAPPY, know of them? Not the most known of multinational organizations but far from secret," the teen answered.

Not sure what to make of the answer. Emotion? Group? Company? The girl's snarky way of speaking to her made her wonder if it was some form of ruse or odd joke being played on her. As she tired to figure out how to respond, and wondering in that if she could use her native language of Finnish, sometimes useful on international flights. The girl being she assumed an American, on route to Sweden, she couldn't be sure. A man she could tell must have had a connection to her, interjected himself into her confrontation with the miffed passenger. "Her uncle beside me here has the pet's papers. If I got them out for you, would you mind looking them over and then passing them between your fellow flight attendants? She has been asked about him a few times before. I think you can understand this is getting a little old?"

Quickly scrapping her look of confusion at the sandy haired man. Him seated a row behind the girl with her dog, that the stewardess was sure didn't belong, she conceited to him and shook her head yes. Relived, the man leaned back into his seat and when noticing his companion by the window didn't have his attention, he poked him. John being oblivious was a little on rare side, Alan had noted with him. It didn't happen on the job, even though his logic made those who didn't know him well, wonder. No it happened when he was deep in thought. When something was bothering him.

"John, earth to John? Brain's papers? I need them." Alan Engenis asked his co-worker, sorted friend, and permanent bio-technology responsibility.

"I think I've been duped about this," The inspector answered, as he broke his attention away from the window to his work partner.

Wondering and feeling almost assured right on the matter, Alan asked him. "You know the paperwork is in line about Brain, John. I don't think you've been duped about it."

Giving the engineer an odd small smile about the misunderstanding for lack of information. Then grabbing a zippered binder from a pouch in front of him built into the seat ahead of him, John commented. "I meant that towards HAPPY's idea of a paid vacation. Alan, I should have seen right through that veil in the beginning. In fact I'm sure I did, I just didn't want to dwell on it at the time."

John after having unzipped the binder and finding the needed papers. After handing them to the still curious flight attendant. Which involved stretching across Alan and giving the woman a feeling of disbelief at witnessing the action. The tech replied, "does it bother you to be along others like yourself?"

Putting the binder back into it's seat pouch after zipping it back up. John answered, looking to the fellow HAPPY Agent at first before turning his attention back to the window. "How would you like to be treated like a token?"

"How are you a token if you're surrounded by other cyborgs, John?" Alan questioned him with a mild amount of concern.

With a light growl in his voice, the inspector answered. "Lets just drop this topic for now ok?"

Looking at his scowling friend and then to his confront zone, outside the plane at the open sky beyond the window. Alan sat back in his seat fully, commenting under his breath while he made himself comfortable. "You brought it up."

\- Troop 603 -

"I can trust you all to work peacefully together right? Venture Scouts, I expect you to find everything on your Building List and bonus points if you see any plants or animals on your Eco List. Report back to the main grounds here by 6pm at the latest!" The Scout Leader shouted towards the boys in his care & command. Before blowing a whistle and waving a hand in the air in a wide ark indicating for them to move out.

"Us having to build our own shelters for the night, this should have started much earlier in the day." Grumbled Ryan, a new comer to Troop 603, as he followed after his partnered buddy at a distance. Ryan's walk at a relaxed pace, not out of fear of poison ivy which he normally feared encountering at any given moment while hiking in unfamiliar woods. It was because his heart wasn't in the activity. His old troop never did things like this and not for the first time being almost out of his teen years, he began again to consider leaving the Boy Scouts.

Chipper and swinging his head around as he moved forward, eager to find anything on either list. His builder's list being of main concern, Tommy commented without turning to face Ryan. "You know that detour to pick up the Daniels' kids on route to the site couldn't be helped. Besides do you think the Scout Master wouldn't have shown that good will? The only bad thing in that was something which he had no control over, the GPS blanking out. Otherwise we'd have gotten here faster."

As Tommy started feeling about and eyeing a fallen small tree in a molding state, Ryan retorted to him. "It's four pm, what do you think are our chances of finding any of the animals on our list are? Second, when do you think that snapped? I'm not so sure I'd trust it."

Positioning himself in a stance which he was sure would make his strength most effective against the small fallen tree still rooted mildly into the ground. While wrapping his arms on to it and baring his hands tightly to it's trunk, Tommy answered. "If we were truly and I mean truly in the middle of nowhere and needed shelter, we shouldn't be picky about luck. A long piece of timber is part of our Builder's List. Also a good number of nocturnal animals are on that Eco List."

Looking around him and not for fear of bad footing or rash inducing plants, Ryan stopped walking. Nothing at eye level or below that but in the air? He could hear something crashing through the treetops. Moments later he noticed what had been causing the noise. Birds, lots of them. Mostly all flying above the forest canopy but a few of them, and Ryan cracked to himself mentally, appeared to be drunk. Some of them for seemingly no reason at all were breaking off from their flock and plowing through the trees.

"Tom, Tommy do you see that? Hear that? What kind of bird?" Ryan broke off his questioning to his partner as he grabbed for his Eco List to check it's information.

Pausing from the task he'd been fixed on, that at this point he's almost finished. Tommy chimed in looking to the source of the sound as well. "Some migratory species, but I don't think any of the ones that would pass through Virginia at this time of the year are on our Eco List."

"I want to joke and say dodo birds here." Ryan replied, still watching the drunken birds crash through the treetops.

When Tommy returned to his work with the tree, finally breaking it completely free from the ground. Ryan saw something which worried him now about the birds' behavior beyond finding it strangely amusing. He saw one come through the canopy and crash on to the ground. "Tom," the younger man continued to speak as he started moving off towards where he saw the bird fall to. "Something isn't right, I want to check out one of the flying morons. The thing just hit the dirt."

Once placing his work prize in a place he felt happy with, Tommy backtracked to move after the other scout. When coming up on Ryan, he finally got a good view of the bird, the man had tracked down. A bird he couldn't identify lay sprawled on the ground, still alive from having decked into it. It was the size of a raven and some what looked like a raven with it's black feathers but it also had other shades of feathers to it. It's underside when that showed as it scuffled about in movement on the ground, when that side of the body was showing. The underside looked like a deeper shade of a robin's breast. Muddy red to pure red ran on the avian creature, chest to tail start. It's eyes Tommy didn't know what to make of those. They looked like those of a cloven animal, he'd never seen a bird with eyes like that nor had heard or read of any.

"What is it and second what could be wrong with it? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact it's still alive after the fall it took." Ryan said, while crouching near by it as it slowed down in it's movements, panting for air.

Cocking his head while keeping his attention fixed on the animal. Bending down too, to get a better view of the plumed beast, Thomas replied. "I don't know. Maybe it's an introduced species which shouldn't be in this part of North America and it's in some form of odd shock. I have no real explanation for the thing."

Puffing up it's feathers in what the nearly grown men could only assume was some form of defensive behavior. It let the feathers fall and spike out every few moments for a time. Then seemingly no longer acting in random movements. It started to do a type of short hopping walk away from the scouts. One wing spread out from it's body, stiffly holding it's shape with each jump taken.

"It may not be on our Eco List and damn I wish I had a digital camera on me or my smartphone. But just so maybe if our Scout Master can clear up what that thing is. I'm grabbing one of the feathers it left behind from it's crash spot." Tom said, while grabbing for a secondary that had fallen from one of it's wings.

Smoothing over the tip of the feather held in the other scout's hand, Ryan commented. "Tabin, you know if that strange raven thing doesn't belong around here, there could be bigger consequences than simple identification when the rest of the troop learns of it. Blog worthy or even environmental scientists worthy."

Pocketing the feather and getting back into a standing position then facing Ryan, Tommy replied. "Then this camping trip will turn out to be more memorable than expected. We should get back to our free shopping trip hike. I already have one of the main pieces of wood we need for our shelter."

\- Team Atom's Arrow -

"Is everyone ok? Natalie? Marget? Mich?," Henry asked, into the darkness of their workspace.

Workspace that until a short time ago had been busy with normal business. One of HAPPY's team engineering labs, it's purpose to let Team Atom's Arrow, a weapons specialty group, design and sometimes test new projects in it's housing. It, along with miles of other underground and a little above ground property of HAPPY now was in ruin thanks to an earthquake.

"We're not to blame for this. The administration knows that right? It's their damn fault for even having installations here. Right near the damn San Andreas Fault!" Mich snapped, from somewhere off in the dimly lit space that only had breaks in it from minor roofing damage. Plus minuscule light sources too small to be of any form of effective lighting added also too dangerous to be considered for handling without proper measures taken. The claustrophobia he'd been able to with help suppress, returning with frightful vengeance. A condition he'd tried to bury in the back of his mind since from the start of working for HAPPY. That until now he had not thought about it in years. An earthquake? Materials that were mildly toxic with radioactive activity, likely now exposed to open air? Mich wanted now to scream after having said his two cents about their present predicament. His glasses having fallen off of him during the quake, aiding his terror.

Softer and not sounding as upset, realizing what Mich was going through, Marget then answered Henry's call. "Rescue teams should be here soon right? I mean yes, yes Mich I'm sure administration knew San Francisco might not be a good Hub City for our underground based operations. But they - they I'm sure tried to make these installations as stable as possible."

In the low lighting of rock gashed openings and the spotted dim glow of things best left unbothered, the weapons lab had those broken by a thin beam of concentrated light. It was a small beam as if made by a pen-light meant to locate keys or used if nothing better for illumination could be found for a purpose. It darted around the sparsely illuminated engineering lab and finally stopped it's movement only when it appeared to find something of interest. But more accurately someone, it had located Natalie.

She lay unconscious slumped down on to the floor of the lab. Blood coming off of her from an unseen injury beneath her from somewhere off her shoulder? Henry couldn't tell without coming over to her.

As he started to try and pick his way across the damaged lab to his colleague. The man holding the small pen-light, moved to join him in this movement to the woman. The engineer questioned this person whom he couldn't see well, holding the light. He also questioned mentally about how the light seemed to be being held.

"Whoever you are, the help is appreciated. But why use that kind of light at a time like this? I know the earthquake has caught everyone off guard, but where were you? Was there nothing better?"

The possessor of the insect sized light let out a short huff, sounded in frustration before replying. "It's built into me. I can't really help how bright it is. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, sir."

"Built? Built into you? How could that be?" Henry then broke off his rambling for lack of understanding the other person's response. It broke off because that's when Henry realized who he had to be dealing with. That would explain how a flashlight could be built into one's being.

"Inspector Gadget? I mean Inspector Heyward? I never thought of you coming here. Some criminal case given by our higher-ups?" Henry asked, the visiting company.

"Gadget? Cute naming idea for a cyborg. Um no, listen I'm not who you think I am. I'm also not here for any criminal." The dimly lit man said, feeling for a pulse in the neck of the woman against the wall. To then smoothly run one hand along her back to feel for where her injuries were.

"I don't deal with the normal criminal element. My work unlike yours isn't completely government supervised." The man continued on before then adding in more by saying, "I think she'll be ok. Although she does need attention to her wounds."

"Wait, you? Who are you?" Henry asked, his almost unseen associate in helping lift up his injured teammate.

"Crap, I don't think I can get us out through the hole I came in through." The cyborg commented to himself before sighing and adding, "we're going to need additional aid getting out."

"Help for our help. If I were dumb, I'd grab for that re-worked Com-Blaster we were fixing just before the quake hit. Create a larger hole." Marget commented, almost laughing as she starred out towards the stranger's pen-light. The only thing in the room she could focus on that didn't scare her.

A whistle or at least what sounded like the start of one came out of the unknown cyborg, sounding into the lab. What Henry guessed, actually meant directed out of the lab. "Your idea of dealing with a distressing situation is whistle into it?" He asked, surprised at what had just happened.

"Not really. No, I just called for my dog. He should be able to dig us out of this. Shove aside the debris to make a good sized exit hole for us." The man who'd entered the nearly enclosed lab. The one assumed by others to be Inspector Gadget said cheerfully, at the thought of his pet joining in to aid them in getting out.

\- Two Goons -

Cement walls with no decoration of any kind. It gave Terry Skinie bad flashback memories of places he'd been held captive in the past. HAPPY's underground jail cells but in more recent recollections, normal jail. He was starting to have a hard time recalling how many of those he'd been thrown into over the years. His last visit giving him an odd sense of nostalgia having been arrested Pierre, the capital of his home state. Pierre might not have been where he'd first been led into a jail cell in handcuffs, but it was still part of the local turf of the Jackrabbits as it had been to Wall.

He scowled at it before turning his attention back to his best friend as Louis, eyes fixed on one of the old fashion analog security monitors, spoke up. "Damn that's a lot of money they've got. What suckers, I bet more MAD Agents are already on the inside of this place and they don't know it yet. Dumb legal dance around. If we were still with them, I'd say just take the offer flat out. No mucking about on the formalities."

Louis Largoe's suckers being the current government caretakers of the old US Army anti-ballistic missile system or ABM or as the Safeguard Program was more commonly called the 'Pyramid of North Dakota'. They didn't know they were dealing with MAD. Likely he knew his former employer had already found ways to secure the establishment minus the use of excessive money. This intrigued the intelligent former grunt of the criminal organization.

He knew the sorts of games MAD got forced to play from time to time. These dances always were done to try and avoid legal complexities down the line. Sure just about every aspect of what MAD did was illegal but if they could play nice in certain departments about acquiring what they needed, it paid off later if a court case had to happen.

Scratching his head, Terry commented his thoughts on the wealth being talked about as payment for the complex and land MAD wanted to have for it's new permanently based headquarters. "What I can't figure out is where they got it from? I mean you heard that rumor too that Bruce and birdman got caught right? So if they failed in Metro City, where could it have come from unless MAD concocted some new scheme to get it?"

Leaning back into his chair, Louis spoke up about what he felt had to have been one possible answer to his pal's question. "Those boats you guys acquired after I took off. Stolen I doubt not. Resale Terry, that would provide them with a lot of dough. I bet a lot of them are in other hands now."

Giving out a fast huff, the cyborg then gave a lite snapping back reply about his friend's hunch. "You generally can't sell stolen vehicles, Louis."

"Unless they've been given a good disguise, repaint, a little remodel. Remember that artsy trickster, Prentice Chagriffer? He could do such a thing," Louis retorted.

Moving forward in his chair now, Louis spotted a matter of interest on another one of the security monitor screens. Not a government employee or a MAD internal worker? Nah, this person didn't carry herself like that form of MAD Agent. Too predatory an air to her, and the clothes didn't speak of being conservative in nature. Most internal laborers happened to be that way considering most of them didn't work in the field. Further more she didn't come across to him as looking like she would have been a fellow grunt worker if he still worked for MAD. A Specialized Agent but a new one, possible danger.

Extending out the metal implanted claws of one hand, Terry started on an extra project he now felt inclined to do. Add some form of decorative touch to one of the walls of the security office. As he messed his index finger's talon around aimlessly while he attempted to figure out what to do artistically minus his old friend of spray paint, a tool he hadn't had the chance to use in years. Louis felt grateful the sound was off ever so much as it didn't quite match up to nails on a chalk board. Trying to persuade his friend's mind off changing the look of the room, Louis asked him a question. "How many of them do you think would side with us Rocket?"

It worked, much to the former grunt's relief. The red head stopped making marks on the wall to stop and think about the question. Taking on a pained look, Terry then said. "Only know of one. You know who. Don't know if," he had to pause on his words as the feel of a lump came into his throat. An act Terry was surprised he could manage given how abnormal his neck was compared to how it once was when it was purely natural. Forcing himself, he finished giving his reply. "Don't know if she's still alive. Bad snakes, lots of them."

The question had been meant to distract his friend but Louis had not intended to distract him with painful what if thoughts over a woman not seen in months. Turning back to look at the monitor he'd been watching, now not seeing his former partners in crime or even the complex staff, by way of it. He thought carefully about what next actions needed to be taken. One logical course of action seemed to present it's self best but work would be needed for it.

"I don't know where they've gone off to. Not on the working monitors anymore and those others, well you know I wish they were functional. Want to get a bite to eat?" Louis asked, with concern for other matters.

"Loma is the nearest place and it really don't have anything. Farm country, wish I could say something better for it." Terry responded, still sounding glum.

After taking in a deep breath, mouth closed, with hands placed on his upper legs. Louis thought for a moment before replying. "What about Cavalier?"

"Great fast food at almost 48 miles away, why not?"

"Well money as always for starters." Louis said, giving a small smile before adding. "But getting up that sort of bread should be easier than what we're itching for right here. Good practice and useful you know?"

Once Louis got up and patted one of Terry's shoulders, the taller man nodded his head in agreement before saying. "Being busy can help, yeah."

  
Chapter 2:

  
\- Airport and An Awkward Intro -

"That is some nice looking powder out there." John exclaimed, standing before a lookout window to the runway of the Tromso/Langnes Airport, to distant landscape beyond it.

The flight had been a long one with only a single layover in New York's JFK Airport before going across the Atlantic Ocean & Norway. Of the gang, Penny and Alan both were fighting how tired they felt. Brain however unlike them had slept often during the flight. His only breaks from sleep being nuzzling his master, her providing him love. Plus once in a while feeling the need to come to attention about inquisitive airline staff over his presence. Why neither the engineer and doctor in early training hadn't slept much was excitement about the trip which was more geared towards fun & leisure for them. Than what their normal international trips tended to be.

This trip had the label of a paid vacation from HAPPY. Not an assignment or mission for them to stop some form of wrong doing. No MAD Agents common or even a little uncommon expected present. No everyday criminals exacting fowl acts expected either. Nothing thought to be amiss they needed to look into. To Penny it came as a perk of relation to HAPPY's one super agent. To Alan it was a chance to relax from his normal work duties unless something went awry with the inspector requiring his knowledge.

To John however it was not as he had quickly surmised at it's start. Not what he'd been glad to have been given to him when first proposed and accepted. His free paid trip. Bothersome thoughts of why he was being given it. Why he'd been singled out by HAPPY for it other than he had personally asked for a vacation. The realization why him. It had been enough to keep his mind busy enough not to drift off to sleep during the trip. How anger and frustration could keep him alert. He knew it was wrong but there had been times in the past on true missions where it had kept him awake when needed that if he felt otherwise emotionally different he'd be asleep.

Still admiring the look of the snow and having a happy thought blanket over why he was truly there, start to buzz in his head. Turning to Alan, he asked. "Do you enjoy practicing any winter sports?"

Inhaling sharply through the nose to repress a yawn, the other HAPPY Agent answered as he felt the need to rest against the runway lookout. "I've never been a sports person of any kind really John, unless you count Ping Pong. Why do you ask?"

"I," John had to pause for a moment before he could bring himself to voice his thoughts. Admission to a hobby he'd been neglecting for years, he had not spoken of for some time. Surely a surprise to the other man. Continuing the inspector went on to say, "I ski. This looks like a great place to take in that sport. After all we're going to be almost on top of the Riksgränsen Resort while we're here for the Cybathlon Meet & training." Then after taking a deep breath he added, "presentation. I was wondering if you'd like to join me on one of it's mountains for it?"

Shaking his head with lowered eyes, Alan replied. "No, I think, I'd rather stay in our hotel or check out town, sorry John."

Disappointed but knowing other companionship on the slopes might still happen. Before John could utter one word to that possible pal about athletic engagement, she stopped him. "I'll likely be joining Alan for roaming around town some. Local culture, you know we don't always get that chance when visiting other countries."

Now swiftly having his attention change to a different concerning matter. In attempting to not show concern, an act his voice betrayed him on. John now had another thing to ask his niece. "Will you be meeting with any of the local boys here. Any I should be concerned about?"

"One mistake Uncle John, just one. Please note here, we aren't here in connection to any form of suspected wrong doing. I swear I'll be safe. Plus to put your mind at ease no boys I swear!" Penny protested to him, crossing her arms across her chest while doing so. Although at the same time, not only did her words impact on John, they stuck another.

Brain put a paw on the young lady's hip to remind her of something. That while not a human male, well he counted for something right? Surely she'd never, ever have such a thing cross her mind. Force him to leave his master unprotected in unfamiliar lands? She took the gesture right, looking down at him, touching lightly the paw he'd just moved on her hip.

"Fur covered guys, they're ok." She said, smiling at him, giving relief to his thoughts on the matter. Him, her loyal guard dog and companion, he was in total sync with her.

Crestfallen about knowing he was wading into an act he didn't fully feel comfortable doing. His downtime lacking familiar faces, even a welcome one that skis would be too awkward for having on four legs. John started focusing his mind on another matter. One which he had forgotten about the moment he'd started admiring the view of the landscape out the windows. In attempting to invite the familiar faces to join him, he'd forgotten the luggage carousel. Lord their belongings, he needed to locate that conveyor belt for all their sakes.

"Inspector? Inspector Heyward?" John heard shouted across the large lounge entrance & departure area in accented English.

His luggage? Penny's? Alan's luggage? Had any of them brought something into the country, illegal by mistake? No matter, he'd discover quickly why the man who'd called his name, accompanied by a woman in close company, wanted his attention. Maybe nothing was the matter? He or they, at least the man clearly knew, he was an inspector, a man in a job of law enforcement. Anything if done incorrectly, if that were the case, he could surely get to the bottom of it to fix it.

"He," was all however John could think to say in response to the questioning man. As the complex cyborg pointed a finger towards himself, facing the pair approaching him and his company.

The couple once hearing that, both had beaming faces of contentment come over them. A sign to the now no longer experiencing mild anxiety HAPPY Agent was glad for. But a further question now came to him about the pair now heading in his direction. "How did you guess who I am? I'm not wearing an ID badge."

Taking one of John's hand's in his and cupping over his other on to the one he'd taken of the inspector. John got his answer fast vocally and unspoken as a knot formed in his stomach to the second. Still smiling broadly the man introduced himself and his company. "I'm Hugo Demikhov and this wonderful woman to my side is my wife Lilly. We are thee in best description, ambassadors for meeting with foreign guests to the Cybathlon Meet. HAPPY described you well sir, that is how I knew who you were."

Once Hugo had released John's hand, Lilly immediately took it in for a warm brief shake. Lilly's greeting didn't give him a reminder of why he was truly there. The hand she had used to make contact with him, it was her natural right hand. The one of Hugo's which had in a sense gripped his. Artificial, metal and plastic. Fabric reacting to manufactured joints collapsing backwards into well engineered series of underlying cords curved into a distorted "U" shape, giving a simulated flesh contraction at noting the intrusive object they were being met with. He had an prosthesis on him. Hugo in a sense was like himself. But not like him. Why HAPPY had picked him. Singled him out for this. He wasn't the only person working for them who lived with a body altered by medical science to help them with overcoming otherwise physical challenges but he was the most advanced of them. No other employee had so far been granted what he had. The best effort he knew of to date in work being done on a person in the field of Bio-Technology. Isaac Chalopin he knew had also been given the best treatment offered after his accident. But the organization didn't have the same and notably more advanced understanding of what they were doing with the human brain when they had worked on the unfortunate security guard. That had unwillingly cost him his job and a normal life. Him, Inspector Jonathan Heyward being given a paid vacation to Sweden with duties of a non-legal matter needing tending to. He was acting as their token in showing what the multinational organization could do to help people.

"Ah, um well since once in a while my formal job has me go undercover, perhaps I should buy some new clothes while I'm here?" John commented, hoping he wasn't blushing when Lilly was done in her physical contact of greeting him.

Showing pride and the inspector was sure it was not his first time. After all given his position, Hugo piped up in reply. "I think it would be great if you partook from some of the local merchants. I can even recommend a few for tailoring high quality garb. Formal or informal? Also if it's ok with you? HAPPY told us you had a different name you sometimes go by. Would you mind it if I called you Inspector Gadget?"

A little shocked but knowing he should not have been in the least. After a pause he knew might not bode well on him considering his position. Fighting the urge to look away from Hugo, John answered him. "I guess I'd like to shop for informal clothes and I think they failed to tell you this, HAPPY. Inspector Gadget is a code name for me as Alan here would call it. It's used on me and I'll answer to it but it's not a frequent thing."

When John had motioned to the tech standing not far away from him, Lilly questioned the younger man. "Code name?"

For once not alarming the company who knew him well, Alan took on his normal to having interesting thoughts, cheshire smile as they saw it. He started to explain to Lilly about the co-worker's extra name. "It's typically a name only used with the inspector when he's on a mission for HAPPY. In fact I invented the name for him, it's caught on a bit since it's inception."

Tapping a finger on her chin and holding her face in her right hand while looking at Alan, Lilly questioned him again. "Are you the engineer I've heard travels commonly with the Inspector when he is working on a job assignment?"

"Yes, actually and I'm sure you've heard also I too have a code name? John, Inspector Gadget helped me come up with it." He questioned and stated to the silvering chestnut haired woman.

Before she could answer him, as the tech noticed the quizzical look she had, he further decided to add, "mine is Corporal -." Penny cut him off.

"My cellphone says it's minus 50 outside. Want to show them why your code name fits you?"

Seeing a soured expression come over the man's face. Even without understanding to the fullest extent why the weather outside some how inflicted cause for concern to demonstrating she was sure some kind of interesting talent. She tried to suppress a small laugh about his reaction. Her reaction because to anyone even one local such as herself. The weather at 50 below would prevent many with commonsense from pursuing their goals outdoors.

"You can explain to me later why you are called a corporal, sir when we have a better time for it." Lilly told Alan so he'd dare not risk his health & maybe safety for a demonstration of some sort to her.

"Inspector, if it won't bother you, may I see either of your hands?" Hugo asked, after finally dismissing a hesitance he had been feeling towards the man since he'd discovered he had been correct in who he'd located.

Not sure why the warmly dressed man was asking the question. Wishing he'd thought to do better himself as he'd later be presenting himself to the outdoors. His niece's notation about the cold outside driving that idea home as he extended forth his hand from shirt sleeve a little. Normal thin cotton he took note of when thinking about how it could stand up to a temperature of minus 50 below outside. That distraction had him not think clearly at first about the request he was now obliging as Hugo once again took a grip of him.

As the man brought in Jonathan's held hand in for closer examination to himself for a better view. The cyborg realized what was going on with Hugo's observational commenting. "Fine craftsmanship, what was done for you. I'm told you can still feel everything? It looks like true flesh."

Speaking with enthusiastic pride, Alan taking note of part of his earlier work being given good remarks. Moving towards Penny a bit so she could hear him well, said. "I'm feeling better now."

Politely taking back his held hand from the, he felt too curious man, John told him. "That is because it is flesh to an extent. The feeling only goes so far as skin deep."

"Since that is so. How is the connection to the nervous system and blood flow maintained." Hugo asked him, not taking the hint at John's retraction to him.

Now it was John's turn to give a sour face, but as Alan had told Penny, the tech feeling better about appreciation of his skills surfacing. Knowing the law officer's temperament as well as he did. The engineer who had been the lead bio-technician in John's transformation to his current state. Quickly butted into the conversation to ensure by mistake the inspector would not say something foul personally & professionally regrettable to the local. "I can explain those matters. I may not be a doctor but I did assist people medically trained some time back on what you're inquiring about."

Lilly having it dawn on her what had nearly taken place. Then did her own means of intervention by asking a question she stunned herself for having forgotten when she and her husband had initially greeted the visitors. "Have any of you eaten since you left from New York?"

"No thank you, we got treated to airline food a couple hours back." When the teen had told Lilly this, it was then her turn to give a face showing an unpleasant reaction now.

"I see," Lilly replied looking down and holding her hands unsure what to say before the right next matter of courtesy protocol struck her. Picking up again, now directing her words at first to the high school student to then turn to the rest of the visiting party as she spoke. Lillian added, "Then you're looking forward to your rooms, I'm sure? That first and rest. Then we'll show you where our formal place for this get together is which also where most of the training is taking place, tomorrow."

"Our luggage before we leave. Do either of you know where the carousels are in this airport for that? I bet our belongings have likely been put in lockup cages by this point since we've now been out here a little while." John told both Hugo and Lilly simultaneously.

"We can show you to those and help you to your rental car, a courtesy of HAPPY I believe. Self driving, your important destinations while here have been programmed into it already but feel free to add your own places of interest into it for traveling." Lilly stated, with a feeling of hope, their meeting was on full course to a better track than it had been a short time ago.

"Beautiful, self driving means I can practice one of the tricks I've learned to use in coping with jet lag." Alan stated, while letting out a yawn.

\- Moving From Weda' Dembai Lake -

Leaning up against the hull of the houseboat he'd been calling his home at MAD's discretion since they sprung him from locked confinement in St. Peregrine Hospital. Icarus Finch eyes to the sky watched a formation of cinnamon teal ducks fly high overhead. A type of freedom he had not had the chance to enjoy since before he'd been in the hospital. His flight suit that while he pointed out to the cops was damaged, they'd confiscated it from him despite that. MAD had given no effort to help him retrieve it and none of his willing feathered friends were capable of helping him. Sighing as he watched the ducks move from his view, he thought and not for the first time. He'd just have to make himself a new flight suit. All that he knew stood in the way of that was getting the right parts to do so and solving it's delay maneuvering.

In the past prior to his hospitalization, he thought it worked. His flight suit was the best piece of personal flight technology in existence. But it turned out he was wrong and had been proven that by the worst means. A HAPPY employee had showed him up. The same person who had landed him in guarded locked confinement, he had been wearing what at one point Finch had thought a dog blanket. But it could not have been, it's fabric looked too different. The way it caught the light shimmering across in rainbow colors. Something had to be going on with that. He knew once upon a time long before he'd entered MAD even before MAD as MAD in name, the former organization had attempted to make technology driven fabric but that had been a failure. Was it meant to be flight capable? Had this guy named Engenis, had he solved a problem the former organization for MAD, failed with?

Getting that information from his co-workers had proved fruitless. Finch had asked everyone he knew who had worked with MAD prior to it's name change, and none of them would tell him what the experimenting with technology driven fabric had been about. Some mark of shame he assumed but he sure as hell wished he knew the why to that. He knew he had to be right about the HAPPY employee's cape. Maybe one of his friends could help him in getting the information out of the older MAD Agents who would know this?

Grabbing the suitcase which was set to his side against the hull of the boat. He thought of his best favored tactic for getting someone to talk that didn't feel like it. Getting one of his birds of prey to feasting on the person in a room with little space to move, until they agreed to speak. All it would take at that point would be a simple verbal command to the raptor and it would cease it's attack. At that point his human subject would spill his guts out if the animal's physical persuasion of the body had not done that first.

The problem with that however was without an order from his commander Doctor Claw, he could not assault another MAD Agent. The agent would have to had done something wrong to either MAD in a mission or had done conduct going against their code of treatment to a fellow in the organization. What he wanted to do would be a breach of that code of conduct for treatment. But the only other way permission could be granted to harm another MAD Agent, he did not have the means of it. Only one had that and again that honor of order only befell to his leader Doctor Claw. Only the Alpha had the right to flat out hurt one of his underlings.

Carefully making his way over the side of his granted home that he was departing now for the last time. Something to feel sentimental about he wasn't sure. As Finch found his footing on to dry land or at least partially dry, of the lake's narrow shoreline. He noticed at least one of his comrades seemed to be feeling something about this place but what he couldn't guess outside possibly being narcissistic. Adams was looking down at the water as if it some how was puzzling him. Weda' Dembai Lake didn't have anything particularly interesting about it so now he feeling intrigued about the other Specialized Agent's current stance to it.

"Something in the water interesting or are you feeling vain about yourself, Adams?" Finch questioned him, walking over to where the other MAD Agent stood on one of the few planks of wood still above water level from the sunken pier it belonged to.

Adams who's area of talent lay in routes normally unthought of and sometimes so out of bounds to normal thinking. The amazing thing is those thoughts worked by strangely implemented actions. The talent of smuggling goods. Shaking his head when answering the question Finch had presented to him, to the order of no in movement. The commenting coming from him, once hearing it slightly surprising his peer.

"Those fish down there. They aren't very big I know but the ones we imported in? The big ones, Birdman? How the hell are we going to hide bodies now?"

"The old fashion method, what else?" Finch replied, shrugging his shoulders and lifting his eyebrows about answering a question which didn't even remotely tinge his thoughts with interest about it's subject matter.

Looking from the water to Finch with a disgruntled air to him, Adams commented. "But the big ones, with the bodies cut up in them. The smells of rot combined. It was a perfect combo, much better than dumpsters."

Gently pulling him away from the partially sunken pier, Finch told him. "We're going to soon be living in better quarters. It's going to have to return to the old fashion way unless you think you can make fish work in the middle of nothing North Dakota. Are you packed because you don't look it?"

Slanting his eyes and smiling broadly was all Finch needed for an answer to the question he had presented to Grayson Adams. The man skilled with birds in an unusual fashion should not have even thought to ask a man skilled at packing things into unusual places. Adams had stored his belongings somewhere, someplace which would ensure their transport to the next living quarters. Now discovering where his packed possessions were? That Finch wouldn't dare venture to ask. The other man had his professional pride and that was a fact the birdman didn't want to entangle himself with. It had already happened once when Icarus was new to working for MAD. He had simply asked Grayson what sort of special skill he brought to the organization. That lead to discovering a few hours later Finch's belongings, still mostly packed from his long trip to Warland, Montana Mt. Everfrost, had gone missing. It took two days to discover where the other MAD Agent had stashed them. They'd been put inside a disregarded radio room on the 18th level or Neyco 18 in section D area, as he learned the seasoned MAD Agents called it.

Moving away from Adams while still keeping an eye on him, Finch failed to notice where he was going, bumping into another of his fellows. This agent he didn't have a fear she'd do something to him or his packed suitcase which he was making sure his grip was firm on. Specialized Agent no. Because Sydney Harrington was a woman, no. Because she could bench press what Finch weighed and was one of the organization's grunts, no. He didn't fear Sydney because she was a friend who treated him kindly most of the time and had never harmed at least his birds.

"You good?" He asked her wanting to turn away his attention in full from a possible culprit of loss to himself if he continued contact with the man now off a few yards from him.

Slinging over her shoulder a standard issue duffel bag her position as a grunt worker granted to her for quickly changing locations. Once it was on her back, she answered him. "You know I've never been a fan of this place, so yeah I'm good."

Reposturing her stance looking from him to Adams, she smiled and shook her head at him. Then she questioned him, "are you ok? I know you and how you can hold on to certain things, example fears?"

"That isn't important right now! If I have anything to fear, well currently that is just a matter of the past unless I can make a new and improved flight suit!" He lightly snapped at her in reply.

Glancing towards the sky for a moment before returning her attention to him, she asked Finch. "Have you had your flocks migrate to our latest locale, Icarus?"

"I sent them off for it yesterday," he answered her. Then remembering a troubling matter of current events not related to them changing where they were living. Remembered because his other friends had been brought up, he asked her about a relation to them MAD was dealing with. "How are the mutants doing, the plaque birds?"

A look that spoke was if to say without words "you're kidding," that she gave him, shook Finch in a bad way. Before she could speak up to force him to reflect on what he'd asked her, he added in. "I know I vowed not to be involved with that assignment. But it bothers me how those little guys got created by our geneticists and their sole purpose for existing is to spread the hell mist contamination! I care for any bird's plight ok!"

Having barely changed her look towards him, that being of standing on some form of high ground, to mildly sympathetic, Sydney finally answered his question. "I didn't get tapped for guiding them so I don't know much of anything for the details of their flight path or how they are doing, I'm sorry."

Nodding his head towards the direction he knew the SUVs awaiting them were. He asked her another question as they both started heading to their transport. "Maybe an inkling at least of target towns? Cities?"

"Some town I think named Staunton in Virginia." She replied, as she made sure to step up and over a large rock jabbing out of the ground shortly off to the side of the path she was making through the woods, with him.

Rubbing his neck because of the action he'd taken moments before and remembering why the feeling bothered him. He continued to question her about the birds' targets. "Hear any plans for them to hit Metro City?"

As they entered a clearing of the forest meeting the roadside in a stretch of land banding the two areas with grass, weeds, and gravel, she told him. "Again I don't know much about this but it would be my guess Metro city isn't on the list right now. Although if things proceed onwards with these death birds, likely Metro City will be on the list eventually."

When she took his suitcase from him, Finch yelped when she did so. As she threw it into the back of the nearest SUV to them. The lady grunt thought about his reaction. She realized in a heartbeat it was connected to his encounter with Adams a short time ago, almost gone a foul in his mind. That must be why her help was met with the shock. Observing Finch give a mini-shriek in terror about her help when he was capable of awful things as much as she. This Harrington found as sad but in an amusing way.

\- Not Inspector Gadget -

"Chalopin?" Henry guessed aloud as his help aided him. The visitor pushing him, to force the man's way up through the hole in the ceiling of the devastated by earthquake, engineering lab.

Once most of Henry Roebling had emerged out into the open, well open so to speak. Knowing he was still underground. He sharply inhaled the air around him to take in his freedom from the confines he'd just left behind. No different he noted immediately in it's smell. But looking around himself he sure at least saw a massive change in his new situation. A sight he was sure no average employee was ever meant to see.

The external structure of the constructions making up what existed of HAPPY underground. Lit up by he guessed either forgotten work lamps or emergency lighting put in place just in case something like this happened? Maybe the teams who had worked on the underside of HAPPY realized what likely it's staff would be faced with one day? He didn't know but now seeing the outside to the constructs he had moved around in so many times he'd failed to think to take count. Probably hundreds of times walking. He marveled at the engineering that had went into the design of them. A crisscrossing of linking up and down, sideways & leaning box-like shapes. Housings that he was relieved to see a few were still completely intact. The design he mussed reminded him of a mandala but insane to it's organization.

"Some assistance from above would be nice." The help from below commented as he held Natalie, looking up at Henry through the ceiling hole.

"Of course," the weapons engineer replied as he started helping the outsider carefully pull out his unconscious teammate from the lab. More help added fast by Marget aiding in attempting to smooth out the movement of the limp body though the opening.

With a laugh that felt out of place to all at first but Marget. She spoke up about a matter of Natalie, she felt took precedence to the moment at hand. "Poor woman just got here, remember Henry? Mich? Graces from the Philly Hub to here. You guys know shes going to want to transfer back there after she wakes up and has been treated."

Henry responded in saying she was likely right, while Mich kept quiet. He didn't like what he was being faced with despite having some one come to his rescue. Although more accurately some one and their pet dog. A large dog, he noted watching it roam about in outline across the floor of the lab. He couldn't make out the animal's features enough to identify breed but knew it had to be something tough. Working class breed he thought and then he started wondering if the dog was trained to act as a service animal. Although those thoughts started flying right out of his mind when he saw the fuzzy outlined shape on four legs do the unthinkable. Sniffing and licking the only light source in the room with them that was tangible to the K9.

After seeing the blurry dog pick up with it's mouth and bite what it had been fondling with nose and tip of tongue, Mich panicking could take it not more. Shouting in feeling the desperate need to do so even through the animal's owner wasn't far from him, he told the man. "Your dog! You dog is eating the T-16745! He's going to kill himself!"

"He can't kill himself, don't about whatever that T-16745 is." The owner outsider lightly snapped back as he motioned to Marget, he was ready to help her out of the lab.

Dumbfounded in disbelief for the lack of concern the owner of the dog was presenting. Wondering if maybe sadly the man had some sort of history of animal abuse spurred on only by ignorance, Mich added shouting. "It's a material we were given for powering some of our inventions! A combination of Cobalt 60, Kalium 40, and Uranium 238! That stuff is gravely dangerous to any living thing it touches!"

"Come on, I'll help get you out." The visitor cyborg motioned to him once Marget had safely made it up and out through the exit in the ceiling.

Grateful he could make out the shape of the man he now was considering a sinner to animals, but only notable rescue aid available at that moment. The weapon focused tech slid his back up the wall he'd been pressed against, to put himself into a standing position. As he attempted to scan the floor from a more advanced height. Then that of the first taken of a crouch when he'd earlier realized his glasses were missing from him. Knowing he'd soon be facing the sinner near by, feeling anger and frustration more by the second about this. The thought of the guy's dumb beast verging on to it's death bed, Mich shouted some more. "How can you be so calm about this!? Your pet is going to die!"

Further motioning his readiness to give aid to Mich and exasperated by the man's continued insistence that his pet was going to die soon if some action wasn't taken to prevent the dog from harming himself. The helper made a comment in reply. "He has been dead more than once and right now he's in no danger but we are in danger, so please hurry up and get over to me. Once you're out I'll get out and I know he'll be able to jump out after us."

Having made his way carefully over to the visitor and knowing better than to feel at the floor for his glasses, remembering the T-16745. Mich now in front of the cyborg, was close enough to him to make out his appearance in better detail. As he looking over the other man, he stated. "I don's know what you are playing at. I can't figure out what breed your dog is. All I know from seeing his outline is he's big. Clifford sized or not, that stuff will mark his end."

Shaking his head with black and lighter shaded hair which only hugged against his neck, visitor replied to the engineer. "Put your foot on my hand and I'll boost you up. Also he or if you wanted to be unkindly technical "it". He's inconel 625, polyethylele, rubber, vinyl, microchips, and if you want to note something natural. I'd say the clay in the nano particles of some of his more odd polymer based parts. What he was and I'm convinced he still thinks he is, that being a Boxer Dalmatian mix. G9, is safe from being harmed by that toxic compound you guys have."

"I think we're all going to have to be decontaminated after this is over." Mich told everyone present once he'd been helped up from the weapons lab. Words not only meant to his teammates on the roof with him but also to the man still inside his ravaged workspace.

Henry feeling the need to come forward first having been at the start of the aided rescue effort to have been given help just before his wounded friend & colleague was carefully given to him. Knowing the person who'd come to his aid and co-workers, was still below. Making sure Natalie was in a safe position before he left her to head over to the large opening he'd come up through, to offer a hand to the stranger who himself needed aid. When the man that Mich almost felt like he wanted to yell at some more was almost out of the lab thanks to Henry. Marget speaking up, stopped Mich from saying anything with a wave to him meaning for him to keep quiet. As she took verbal note of something Mich clearly hadn't gathered right, and she wanted to know more about.

"Robot dog, huh. I'm sure I would have heard about it from one of the other engineering teams if it came from us. Where did you get it from?"

The cyborg now back on the roof and making sure he was in a good spot to still view the engineering lab. Slapped one of his upper legs, called to the mechanical animal below him to join him before then replying to Marget. "My friend Myron once told me from the morgue of the St. Blaise Veterinary Clinic in Baltimore."

Jumping & clawing at the edge of the gashed by earthquake rocks and gashed rocks by his thick metal claws with rubber undercoating, around the roof's opening. The high tech. beast after a few tries of this and with help by way of it's owner, managed to get out of the lab space it had been roaming around in. He had been eager to leave behind the place with the exception of wanting to try his jaws around more of the interesting glowing misshapen balls the area had strewn all over it's space. After acts of advanced hydraulics had taken place with the assistance of springs designed just as state of the art when made as the formal accompaniment they were linked to had ended. Owner and pet united. Henry replying to the owner's statement about the dog's interesting and unorthodox to just wrong origin, said. "You are a very strange man. Mister, I really would like to know what your name is."

Shaking Henry's hand, the visiting helper introduced himself more formally,"Jake Anatech."

New information noted about the now not total stranger. A man he finally had dismissed as an animal abuser, Mich asked Jake. "Is more help on the way? We can't be the only ones needing assistance as awful as that may sound."

"I placed a call before coming down here and add in the whole city above us is a flurry of activity because of the quake. HAPPY being an important government presence here. I bet you don't have to worry for long about getting back out into the sunlight again and Natalie being treated by a hospital." Jake replied, as he felt at his cell phone in his pants pocket, looking at it momentarily also. With how much movement had just been taking place. Having last used it before he'd made his way into the cavern which should have been inaccessible to him from the third entrance to the PDL or Prairie Dog Lines, for San Francisco. The careful inching through narrow openings, climbing downwards to the first place he saw needing attention in the cavern. Until now he had not felt the need to check on where the device was. Jake felt immensely relieved when noting it's continued presence on his person.

The concern noted on the man's face, one that Henry didn't recognize. The HAPPY Agent knew for a damn fact it clearly didn't belong to Inspector Heyward or the retired security guard that he'd heard sadly was mentally incoherent, Mr. Chalopin. The other weapons engineer having concern too, asked Jake. "Are you authorized to be here? Not, that I'm ungrateful or anything."

Looking as innocent as he could, the taking on air of that because he knew he truly wasn't in a place he belonged. Jake replied as much to the effect of that thought and added in more about what he'd been thinking about. "No, but I doubt your superiors would mind me here. Um question, I saw some roughed up industrial grade insulated power conduction cables, coming here. Likely useless now. Mind if I grab one or two? I have an affinity with electronics, it's a bit of a personal hobby."

Marget then felt the need to jab home the point further of what her co-worker was implying even after hearing the named stranger's words. "You shouldn't be here," she told him flat out.

Being speechless was the cyborg's only response to her. Looking at who she worked with, with the exception of one unconscious and hence unaware he was even present. Jake awaited their next verbal actions towards him. Henry took it upon himself to do as much in telling him. "Mr. Anatech, when more help makes it's way here. People we work with, when they come, do stay."

A toughened smile was all Jake could now think to do towards the other man. That and really think on possible plans of what to do next he hadn't given much thought of before now. Sure, he knew before going into the third tunnel to enter down into HAPPY, they might question him. That had even struck him shortly into knowing some time back, the earthquake which had just happened. When months back he had learned it was coming. The people he intended to help might wonder about the outsider in their midst. At least asking him to stick around was better than other ways they could treat his presence.

Being on government property was something he didn't even blink at even though there are others he knew would. Having lived in Washington DC until the end of his teens. Having a father in government service. A mother who was commonly in the presence of people of importance. For a while having connection to a government program now scrapped. Add currently a long time friend still living in Washington DC and at that having a job in the White House. He knew trouble could come of being too comfortable with the familiar.

To simply visit his friend Heather Tabin, to deliver her a gift of a new brooch pin because she had just been given a promotion within her work for the Secret Service. He should have known better than to have entered the grounds of the White House unannounced. After being tackled by Heather's co-workers that didn't know him. Who also at the same time considered a jewelry display box to be a containment vessel for some means of attack towards the president and the officials he worked closely with. Jake had learned his lesson. At least now he wasn't being tackled & being faced with people drawing guns on him.

"You clearly aren't the everyday man on the street and regular visitors don't ask for what you have. Hobby not likely," Marget proceeded to add.

Secret Service Agent Heather, she could clear this up. She still was well connected within the government. No HAPPY connection but Jake was sure she knew people who knew them. Under his breath he commented as much to himself while he pulled out his cellphone. "Just one call to Washington DC, that's all this would take for simple clear up, just one."

Taking it out from sleep mode with a flick of a thumb up to showing it's lit interface. Dialing application loaded and then disappointment. No signal. No contact. Not a soul here who could vouch for him. "Damn," was all Jake could think to say to that as he looked at the zero bars present in the upper left hand corner of the phone's screen.

  
Chapter 3:

  
\- Reunion -

What luck and the two men couldn't stop reflecting on that. The person they'd relieved the car from a while back had been so dumb as to leave it unlocked with it's keys under the driver's seat. In the whole of stupid things people could do on average both former grunts for MAD loved that one the most. That and others who just made their jobs easy by caving in when they had the upper hand unbeknownst to them. Louis not for the first time took pride in clicking the car's electric remote lock as he and Terry made their way from the vehicle.

"I still want to repaint the thing. Fine car, two keys. Don't see that everyday anymore." Terry commented, stopping in his tracks as he took a moment to look back at the car he and Louis had used to make their way to Cavalier.

Rebuffing his former superior Louis said. "It doesn't have it's true license plate on it and aside from that we've bumper stickered it to kingdom come. The thing never had'em before and the troopers aren't looking for a car matching it's current description. Now it looks like it belongs to some weird ass collector of random crap!"

After slapping Terry across his back which was as high as Louis could go to hit his pal without a tiptoe reach or jump. The man who some called a human tank started musing about why they'd come to the town. Food, but grub that would be an interesting challenge for them to get. That's what he felt up for anyway. A minor challenge before larger serious thought on the other and much bigger challenge, they both wanted to take on. "Ripping off some common burger bin feels beneath our class of thieving. Don't really feel like a small time job and dumpster diving is definitely out of the question."

Not having the ability to leave a matter well enough alone sometimes and this one feeling like it deserved attention, Terry started back towards the car. Bumper stickers could peel off it if not applied right. They were he now had to side with his friend on this, the car's best disguise notation from the state and local police. As he made his way to the back of the machine, the tall cyborg had to tell his muscled buddy what he thought of the man's last words to him. "I don't like skipping out of reason for being in a place. We're nabbing our food, no question to that Louis."

Terry couldn't see Louis glaring in his direction the moment the words left the man's mouth. The athletic criminal was already trying to smooth out a bubble he saw in first sticker he'd chosen to lay his eyes on. Replying Louis told him, "you aren't my superior any more remember? We also ain't grunts anymore. This is now back to old old times. I wonder if we could take nab a Schwan delivery?"

Old times, the red head knew the two of them had plenty of those. Even times before they'd been friends if passing notice at school events counted to that. Those old times when they'd been formally acquainted as friends. He had to smile about that as he thumped one hand against the car and motioned for Louis to toss him the vehicle's keys. Grand theft auto, the real life grand theft auto had been one of their earliest joint ventures.

The keys smacked the ground after Terry failed to catch them from having been thrown in his direction. Grabbing them up quickly after glancing at Louis about the miss of his throw. He started trying to unlock the car's trunk, an irresistible curiosity to him from the near start of their possession of the large sedan. He loved opening things and felt a stranger's car or truck or van or house with unseen items inside meant goods he might enjoy. A present. Thinking on his own mentality to this fact, he soured his face about it. Thoughts again back to those old times of long ago and that early gaining of the first car they ever stole together. What had been an event that had them really bonding as friends prior to it. Their revenge on the slime that had been picking on him thought out his junior and senior years of high school. When his parents found out about it, his graduation gift from them had gone right out the door. Luckily for him Louis felt pity for him on that too. His new best bud stole a car for him as a make up present to the one he'd lost. He wanted to learn the skill which had gotten him his new ride. A lesson taught. A second car gained. A growing feeling of resentment towards his parents for not understanding why certain things had to happen.

It wouldn't open. None of the damn keys opened the trunk lock. Terry griped inwardly to himself about that. How was it possible to have such an easily accessible to it's driver and passenger compartment ride but not have it's storage compartment the same? But no matter to him. He now had tools in him he didn't have years ago. The use of his energy cannon, no bad idea. Louis would never forgive him for that form of overkill to open a locked trunk. His metal talons on the other hand? They'd likely work for this. He'd been practicing lock picking with them for a while now and had only kept improving with each session of trying the new art.

Within under a minute he'd unlocked the trunk using his right pointer finger's claw to work the job. Lifting up the hood of the trunk made him think twice about the effort he'd put into the act. Nothing in it seemed interesting. The contents appeared down right dull and standard to find of the average middle-class he guessed, for what there was. Dry cleaning on hangers, contained in plastic. A dress and some child's clothes. No use to him. A junior coloring book, jumper cables, blank label CDs fallen from their case binder. Plus of course a spare tire embedded into the floor of the trunk.

At least that last object was of intrigue he noted. Sometimes objects slipped down on to the sides of spare tire well, even underneath if forgotten by owner after the tire was put in place. Starting to remove the tire from the well in the floor of the trunk, the hood of the trunk buckled in for a second. Snapping, Terry shouted. "Louis cut that out! Slim chance there might be something worth snagging in here!"

"Um Terry," Louis said unseen to the man still focusing on removing the spare from it's spot.

The mere mention of his name having sounded toned with concern should have made Terry wonder about why Louis had said it that way. What had caused the metal above him to buckle for a second if not his friend coming down on it a little? Right after he'd removed the tire from it's well encasement and after having moved into a more upright position with his body to the car, he soon discovered what had touched the hood of the trunk. In quick reflex to the sound just above him of squeaking metal moving down fast. The cyborg bolted out from under where he'd been standing. There before him with it's front half positioned on the metal hull, stood a large panther.

A large jungle cat in North Dakota's northeast corner, almost on top of the southern border of Canada, looking him right in the face. The chances of why this would happen to him? Only one explanation rang through his mind. A warm feeling came over Terry at that thought. She wasn't here but at least one of her cats had found him. A familiar face if however covered in fur and loaded with sharp fangs. "Sneaky panther," Terry cooed to the animal, smiling looking not fearful about her proximity to him.

When faced with a panther the reaction from a normal minded person wanting to protect their life would be to either back away from said animal or run from said animal. Terry bent in to pet it and this action having not gone unnoticed from his friend, Louis was trying to get over feeling speechless. Besides simply saying the first name of his companion which he had earlier. He finally was able to string together more words when the large cat started giving affectionate rubbing against the arm of Terry's now reaching to pet it. Speaking with some show of concern and fear in his voice, Louis asked him. "Um Terry, is that who I think it is?"

Nipping away part of the tall man's shirt nearest her head to his body. That surprised the former MAD Agent but he still didn't feel stricken with panic about what had just happened to him. What did give him cause for alarm was when she made her way beyond him, then turned to face the direction she'd apparently come from and start running off into it. It only took a moment for Terry to decide what to do next. He took after the jungle cat down West 2nd Ave North and finally remembering he'd been spoken to earlier, answered Louis. "We're going to rob a swan sure, got it!"

Dala ran into an alleyway between two large buildings of what Terry could only assume by appearance were part of a food processing plant. Not a well kept factory he noted as the black animal quickly wormed her way under and through a fence nearing the end of the alley. That being too tight a squeeze for him to fit through himself. He did the next best thing he could think to do besides climb over the fence which to him felt like a waste of time. Extending forth the interlocking framework of metal overlaid and altered into part of the anatomy of his legs. Terry moved like a person on flexible stilts to jump over the barrier.

His robotic extensions retracting back into him, returning his legs to normal length happened without pause after his jump. Nearing the cat with a part of his shirt clenched in her mouth, Terry lunged for her in a tackle. Smacking into the beast she let go of her nipped shirt fabric and tried to squirm free of the man but her strength was no match for his. Feeling grateful to be in the presence of the panther a feeling likely not shared mutually right then, Terry spoke with loving enthusiasm to her. "Oh, you aren't your master I mean mistress but you'll have to do. New pet? You sure remember me because I remember you well! Good kitty, good kitty!"

Petting and giving the jungle beast scratching around her neck & head, minus extended claws of his own. He failed to notice the company joining their presence while he did the acts. Continuing to coo at the predatory man-killer, he spoke to furred lady. "I miss your mistress so much. Is Spencer with you? Is he near by?"

In mild disbelief at the former Elite MAD Agent's behavior, the company who had approached them without notice, spoke up. "If anyone else tackled her or Spencer, they'd be dead."

Attention jolted up and away from the cat, Terry looked to the speaker of the words he had just heard. The man now distracted but still with a good grip on her, Dala tried to take advantage of this in attempting to wiggle out from under him. Smiling from ear to ear he muttered the name of the lady standing on two legs in front of him, pointing the tip of a spear at him, "Annie Leiva."

Grabbing on to the shaft of her spear while simultaneously much to the animal's relief beneath him, getting up from keeping the feline in a forced hug to the ground. Terry further used the wooden rod to help himself into standing up. Grinning with slanted eyes towards him, Annie stated. "I can still track you down easily."

After pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the cheek. Near to her mouth, Terry rapidly questioned his girlfriend. "Where have you been!? Venom, what happened?"

From grin to board smiling, Annie answered him while maintaining their hug with a few inches apart from each others' faces. "Sorting things out. MAD was a part of my life longer than it was part of yours. Also Professor Venom, yeah he's never going to be a problem ever again."

"Awe, you murdered for me." Terry said beaming with delight at her action.

Professor Venom had never been a man he enjoyed working under while he was with MAD. The man had to have things only his own way to follow through with orders from Doctor Claw. Not that doing things differently than requested by his main leader at the time was always a bad thing. Disobeying Doctor Claw is what had put him on the man's bad side for good when he'd not help him find Louis for a death sentence. The snake enthusiast on norm would always follow their commander's orders to a t, but if he had other ideas about how to successfully carry out a mission, he'd do whatever rang to his mind as being plan A. Never mind if the grunts ordered to tag along with him had their own ideas, ones which could help things move on more smoothly. Their plan Bs or Cs or Ds, would never be used. The former Elite MAD Agent when it had happened, relished the man being sent on a mission to Antarctica. When he'd heard the news, he chalked it up to being management listening to suggestions about what to do with the guy.

Rubbing a hand on around one of his shoulders, she replied to him. "I murdered for Tanner and you."

"Was it gruesome?" He asked in turn, remembering the unforgettable way the Specialized Agent had killed the liger. Something which had turned sadly into an off & on nightmare for him in his dreams of what if he had been the victim and not the large cat.

Shrugging she answered him. "I tried my best to do to him what he did to Tanner and worse, so yes very gruesome."

Pleased with her answer and hopefully resolve to bad dreams, Terry told her. "I love you honey." Before he took her in for another hug and asked her, "MAD?"

With her head cradled against his neck, she questioned his memory and pointed out her new reality. "What did I just say to you a short while ago? That MAD was a part of my life. Did you think I'd be welcomed back from a mission minus your head and having just killed an equal?"

Full understanding finally stinking into his head, Terry wasn't sure what to do except embrace her tighter before then stating what he thought must also be going on in her life. "So Doctor Claw and the rest must want you dead too now."

"True," she said as she and he noticed they now had company not of the feline kind. Louis jogging was approaching them, looking at the couple, he was glad for them plus surprised. Ever eloquent with his choice of wording, the former MAD grunt coming towards them, started talking to the flame of his best friend's life.

"Amazon Annie! Wow how'd you, never mind. Shit woman do you have idea how much the Red Rocket here has been pining for you over the last few months? What brings you here, him?"

Dividing her attention between the two men as she spoke, Annie replied. "MAD has been too busy with other matters to try and take me down lately. I know what they've been up to and have been closely keeping tabs on some of it. What you two have been keeping tabs on too."

Terry knew this had to be of some relevance to not only himself but his pal. In wondering on a hunch what she could be implying, he blankly asked her for clarification. The approach to ask her in this way as to not make a fool of himself if that hunch was wrong. "What are you saying here Annie?"

"We join forces, we get their money. We live like royalty wherever we choose or maybe something more enticing." She answered him, not only confirming what he had suspected she was implying but in brief once she'd spoken, kissing him.

Looking on towards the reunited couple, Louis remembered he and Terry had briefly discussed on the base of the prairie pyramid that very subject. Things were looking up now but he knew that wasn't entirely golden. Voicing as much he told them, "us three against MAD? Good but not great. We're going to need some extra help."

\- Lynx Run -

A calm and peaceful place for his so-called vacation? Not exactly, for Inspector Heyward. Wishing no one would notice him any more, he stood in a spot that acted as an oxymoron to that idea. He didn't want to be where he was and so placed himself nearest the door. Standing near the largest door or more accurately set of doors to a building currently rented out for minor administrative duties and general meeting area to all present for the Cybathlon Meet & training. Penny had already pointed out to him he could do better but he also was representing who he worked for and blowing this for them might not be a good idea.

For a brief amount of time thinking about this of how he represented HAPPY. What they had done to save his life but in the case of now he felt they were using him as some form of prized show animal. In that amount of time of about twenty minutes, he thought over again his early inclination to sue them over what they had done. What had stopped him in thinking over those old thoughts were meetings with the people interested in meeting him. People who had not been able to benefit from his employer when they needed what he'd gotten without asking for it. Their bionic prostheses were simple compared to his. Theirs weren't as integrated into their bodies and often didn't have the fullest range of motion as he felt they should. He had known what bionics were long before he'd been turned into a cyborg. He'd passed people on the street with them or had met with them for one reason or another. At no time had those chats of what felt like so long ago, felt personal on a level like this. The closest he'd seen to anything like himself had been in science fiction he had no interest in watching. Science fiction didn't represent reality but it came across to him as possibility of what one day might be real fact. To the people he was getting to know from little meetings of curiosity, he came across as what one day might benefit all like them.

With a burst of cold air hitting against him from the side, John knew someone was now entering into the rented facility. Awaiting either the predicted question of who he was and then a wide scope of new questions that centered around him or complete indifference sided with a feeling of disregard to his presence. He thought he knew either of those outcomes was about to prevail. Instead what he got was a spray of snow hitting him all over as Brain stepped forward a few feet into the building to shake himself off.

"Penny?" He voiced in question, not really feeling the need to glance towards the open door to his side.

Correctly assumed the teen would be near by to her pet, Penny answered. "Some snow fell on him a short while ago from a tree. He didn't want to clean himself off outside."

A little stocked that at an earlier time the K9 had not removed the snow from himself when given a different opportunity. John turned to face his niece and asked her. "What about the equipment shed for the sports gear? People aren't in there a lot. This place gets a lot of traffic and I assure you I know what I'm talking about."

Getting cocky at him, Penny told him a point of hers about Brain's choice of cleaning space, and his current job. The equipment shed was normally locked unless someone paid to get stuff out from it or was putting stuff back into it. Second, while she was so sure he was aware of how active the place was he was in. He didn't have to stay there any more. His time of duly was up and had been for about five minutes.

After thanking her for notifying him of his obligation having been very well met. Penny then decided to carry her fun with him further. "You know you're the only person in the world who can claim to have a clock built right into them to always know the time?" She smiled at him while saying the words, removing her thickly insulated jacket and bundling it into her arms.

Brushing off the attitude from her he'd gotten used to even before his accident, he asked her. "Are you good here?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" She questioned him back.

"I'm going skiing," he replied to her.

\-----

Abby Lachin looking at the man standing a few yards away from herself. She couldn't tell if he was a novice or real skier by how he was standing, preparing himself mentally to start heading down the slope they were on. Fearing the first of the two given the difficulty of the proposed run, she questioned him politely. "Do you feel you're up for this? I can't quite tell your status here. If you're new to the slopes, this might not be a good idea for you."

John at hearing her question instantly stopped his fidgeting movements and lite talking to himself for motivation. Turning to her he smiled and exclaimed to her his position. "It's been years. I've been meaning to get back to this for some time."

"The Lynx Run is meant to be for intermediates, nytta lycka!" She exclaimed back at him as she started down the Run with a grace that told the inspector she was seasoned at the sport.

Wishing he'd done further reading on the Swedish language before he had left home. A thought he'd been having over & over since arriving in the country. He also chided himself inwardly for not moving around with his personal computer which could translate any language he got presented with in a heartbeat. Here on a mountain, the computer would be a bad idea. It would interfere with his ability to see to an extent. Also he doubted very much HAPPY would be happy with him if by mistake he destroyed it while skiing. When not wearing it at earlier times during this his so called vacation, fear of a forced warranty matter to the gadget was not what had held him back from wearing it. It was not wanting to stand out more which had caused that choice to happen. Wearing a device affixed to one's head that to a degree looked like a transparent umbrella with digital information presented on it's specialized plastic screens, was not how to keep attention away from one's person.

Hearing the sound of wet crunching beneath him as he shifted about on the snow, he remembered a fact about himself he'd rather forget. He wasn't sure if it was faulty memory but he felt the white crystallized water years back didn't feel the force of his presence as much as it did then as it did now. Now he weighted more than he used to. It wasn't fat weight which was what made him weigh more, it was his altered in machine side that made him that way. Weighing nearly double what he used to, he'd given up fast weighing himself on scales when he was getting used to being in his current state. When being examined by medical staff at HAPPY and asked about his weight as standard questions go for pre-examination, he'd just say he didn't know. An annoyance to whoever happened to be his nurse at that moment, but a way to avoid feeling embarrassed about himself over a matter he couldn't help.

"Ok, Johnny you're a big guy. But this powder doesn't look like it should be a problem." He told himself as he readied himself to finally depart for moving down the Lynx Run slope.

The progress was slow. Maybe he had misjudged how sheep the mountain was? Nah, he'd seen the lady he'd spoken with briefly, start down it like a swift breeze. Still feeling the need to be cautious although be it at the same time more than eager to conquer a slope meant for a person who was already practiced. He moved forward about a foot.

Wondering why she had not at this point seen her temporary companion of the ski path come in near by. Abby with a blaze of kicked snow at her action, stopped at over a quarter of the way down the slope to look back at the man she's been talking to. Bemused she wondered if he had lied to her about how skilled he was at the sport. Novice or could he be skilled in a different form of the sport? She shouted the more polite guess at him.

"Was your thing cross-country skiing?"

Blushing at her question knowing he was not a cross-country skier. In fact he had not even learned to ski that way unlike most he knew. He had been introduced to skiing as a child through his father, Jules. Jules loved sports and in everything he did, he had his son try & sometimes made his daughter try.

This sport was the only one he'd taken to. First lesson he was proud to think back on was not meant for the regular new comer. Jules had taken him to a place while looking ready for poles & skis, it was not designated for such. This had lead his mom, Anney concerned to place herself, Jules had felt needlessly, at the bottom of the mountain ready with first aid in case it was needed. It never had to be needed. The why behind that is something the inspector had told few people over the years. Why he had aced his first trip down a mountain skiing when it had not been cross-country style. Jules had held his hand nearly the whole way through it, plus a few times after that when he was still learning.

"No no, I ski well on slopes like this one. I - I think me being heavier now is the problem." John proclaimed, as he eyed the path he wanted to take before him.

Laughing about the inspector's comment that felt out of place to her, she replied. "You don't look fat and even people overweight don't tend to have problems on this. It clearly isn't off-piste."

"I'm not chubby. I just have huh, it's not an easy explanation." He answered back, now feeling just a bit irritated by the subject of conversation he had actually brought up.

Abby shook her head not knowing how to talk correctly with him. Whatever his block was in speaking to her, she didn't want to press the issue unknown to her. As she prepared to take off again down the Run, she made one last comment to him. "When you're ready to finally get to the bottom here, mountain goat I'll give you a few pointers 'k?"

"I can do that." The cyborg stated to himself under his breath.

Jealousy can sometimes be a great motivator to actions not bad but neutral. John felt jealous of his company's skill, watching her with ease make her way down the mountain. Pushing aside his fear, he put himself mentally where he would have years back enjoying the sport and launched himself into moving down the ski path at a more normal speed.

There wasn't much struggle from that point forward in his descent of the mountain. It seemed john figured, his balance of good verses bad of the day was finally leaning into the first of the two. The one he needed. In retrospect he thought even thinking such a thing was a jinx.

With the movement of bringing his polls forward to stink down into the snow and ice for a grip to push forward with they got caught. This caused a chain of events to happen swiftly to him, none of them thought out, his third brain taking action for him where his normal organic one was being hit by sensory bombardment to fast to have it react correctly. Arms extending beyond their normal length in attempted halt to action, that being of him further moving forward from the position of the stuck polls. That by way of speed with gravity combined, made him lunge over his arms with hands still gripping the poles.

When the flip smacked him on to his back, he wasn't sure if him letting go of the poles was a conscious action or further reflex. All he knew was in the old days prior to being a cyborg such an accident would have had much different results happen. His arms breaking rang to mind as a potential injury. Snapped wrists was another potential injury he thought of. He'd never know the answers to those questions he was presenting himself with. All he did know for a fact was in the old days he was likely to have put himself in much more pain. If he had done the flip he just did and impacted on snow & ice with unseen rock and soil beneath them.

Hearing the crunching of what he was now sprawled on to his back to. John listened to concerned voices noting themselves in his direction. People coming to try and help him. He wondered what they must have thought of his exotic flip from a distance as he lifted his head up to a normal human length to try and see them approaching him.

Two men and the lady he had been talking to a short time ago were the ones now on route to him, believing him in need of aid. The woman who's skill he now applauded being sharp as he knew his was once upon a time, she was no longer wearing her skis. Reasonable John thought, otherwise she couldn't move as fast as she was to try and reach him, going upwards on the slope. But her approaching him and her two associates in tow? He started thinking again on that point.

While he was feeling hurt by what had just happened, it didn't feel serious. Maybe brushed? He didn't have long to ponder those thoughts alone, as the lady reached him a short time into him analyzing what degree of pain he felt he was in. He got his exam halted by her trying to gently push his head back to the ground. Fear of neck injury, John was sure must have been her thought towards him with that action.

"Mountain Goat are you ok?! I saw you fall. I'm not sure exactly fall how. I think I need my eyes checked on that, but I saw you crash. Are you hurt?!" Abby questioned the cyborg in panic.

Trying to get it across to her and hopefully her near by company as much as he felt he had assessed his state of being. Also not feeling the need to explain how he had befallen such an odd accident by way of mentioning unneeded what was now a quip, the inspector told her, "I don't feel very hurt. Remember not chubby, not an easy explanation?"

Now within reasonable range of distance to John, and possibly lady friend, the first man nearest questioned him. "Whatever dude, just honest answer. Do you think you need medical attention?"

"On a scale of one to ten I'd say I maybe feel a one or a two, no biggie." John answered, and hoped that would be a sufficient reply for them and maybe the second guy if he was in earshot by now.

It apparently wasn't, at least not for the other male company speaking up for the first time, the third of the party to now reach him. He eyed John for signs of injury. A feat the HAPPY Agent felt sure would be hard for anyone except a well trained doctor to figure out. Reflecting on that he then remembered a thought. That he and only two other people on Earth. To only they and himself, were the only people who could have their limbs at unnatural positions, with that not meaning injury had occurred to them. The second man while showing himself just as much a good Samaritan as his companions were towards him. He did not know that fact of altered body as he spoke to John.

"We should properly still help you up. You never know some times."

When they starting to heft John from the ground, the third of the group and last one to speak, then added. "Abby could you grab this guy's skies?"

Once Abby had voiced she'd do the task it took John a second further to have it hit him just how serious they were taking this. Then the first man who'd spoken did so again. "Local or not? Got a preference of hospital to check you?"

"I think I'm fine, besides someone who knows me physically very well in," he paused not sure how to state that further without making them more intrigued by him. He'd had enough of that for one day minus minor injury bringing that about. Finding what felt like the right way to skirt around Alan's formal position, John continued, "fixing me up, isn't near by right now. I think he's checking out the local stores. My niece, she's in training. Oddly second thoughts if I was injured."

"Tourist with a doctor in tow. You travel smart." The second man commented.

Being overcome with his need to be honest, something which had hurt him more than once in the past. The cyborg HAPPY Agent clarified his quote un quote doctor to the group by saying, "he's an engineer."

"Concussion to the head, yeah you need some help." The first man stated as he took hold of John's head. Abby gripped his legs, and the third one of the company gently moved his hands to slide underneath his back for support.

He was going to be treated as if something had just happened to him he wished he could recollect. The near fatal car accident which had made strange fate bestow it's verdict upon him that now was complicating his interactions with these people because he was trying to control his tongue. He imagined this is likely how he'd been moved on to the ambulance stretcher when that event was about to take place.

"I don't think I was badly hit!," the inspector exclaimed, as he started to struggle lightly before having reality bite him in the butt. The controlled information he had given them. They could not help their concern for him and he couldn't fight that off. After taking a breath in cooling down he added. "I don't think I hit my head. Listen you can help me down off this mountain if you feel it's necessary, but I think I'm good."

\- I Suspect ... -

Eda Venture was feeling antsy and anxious as she tried to control her voice to one of her superiors, as she a skilled doctor & surgeon, told her request. "Please sent me out to San Francisco."

Bernice Cratz felt sorry for Eda but knew where things were standing, telling her as much. "San Francisco locally has sent in every one they have, every one they can spare. Also I am sure skilled doctors and nurses working in that hub are already on the job."

"What is going on in the foggy city that's so dire, Doctor Venture?" Dirk Ho`ang asked while approaching her, with his brother Finn coming as well not far behind him.

As Eda watched Miss. Cratz walk away from her. Feeling panged with forced regret, with looking to see which of the twin boys had spoken, she answered. "An earthquake, a massive one in fact. I'm surprised you don't already know of it. Inspector Heyward or someone suspected of being him is already there on the scene."

"Is Penny ok?" Both teens asked at once. She knew why the pair hung around her and it had nothing to do with illness since neither was normally sick. Also neither wanted to be tutored by her in her practice, but they knew of who was being tutored by her. Both young men had a crush on Penny Heyward and so readily had themselves in the doctor's presence for any needed orders from her.

She felt sorry for their puppy-love of the girl which Eda knew was one way. The twins wanting to date the unofficial HAPPY Agent whom the doctor had around herself sometimes. She wondered what that unrequited love might lead to one day. She also wondered what would happen if Penny ever felt something for either of them and what that might lead to. The girl could only date one of them and Eda doubted the high school student would do something so cruel as date both at once. Cruel, that thought of emotion, she had to reply fast to them considering their worry for the lady.

"I didn't hear anything about Penny in the reports, sorry." Eda exclaimed to both men at once. Then realizing they of course and per usual norm to the Ho`ang twins, likely didn't have a job being worked on at that moment. She felt the need to supply one, at least the only one she could think of. Given their age and the fact they only had made it into working for HAPPY since their parents were employed by the organization. HAPPY rarely had them set to any tasks. It was their lack of direction she'd heard stated, why their parents had gotten them in to begin with.

"Dirk could you do me a big favor? Could you try nudging my superiors into sending me out to the San Francisco Hub so I can help with the relief effort?" The doctor asked the twin dressed in formal clothes all hued towards blue in the color spectrum.

Puzzled a little by the request, that while it made sense since she wanted to help their colleagues on the west coast. One thing didn't seem right, so Dirk asked her about it. "Don't you know anyone working in the San Francisco Hub? Couldn't one of them send an order here requesting you?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes for a moment, she exhaled in a long sigh before answering him. "I know a few working over there. None medically trained. None who can authorize me traveling there now. Who I do know are people I've treated here who normally work there. One of my nurses, Shawn he used to work in that Hub before being on my team."

Dirk nonverbally replied to her with the recognition of nodding and then giving a salute to Eda, before heading off in the direction he'd noticed Miss. Cratz go off in. Finn looking to the doctor then gave his nonverbal commenting, which was by way of simply being a questioning glance at her, she knew what it must mean. She wasn't sure what to tell the young man and after stumbling a little in her speech she came to an idea. Voicing it she told him, "could you pack a bag for me? A couple changes of clothes, bathroom amenities, and type 1 & type 2 first aid kits?"

Now it was Finn's moment of being puzzled by the woman's words, which led him to asking her. "You have clothes you keep here?"

"I - I'm not the only person here who does this. Haven't Xuan and Công, your parents ever had to work long shifts?" She queried him, hoping he wouldn't press for further details of her work when times like those long shifts happened. Live saving when on mass was messy. Doing it even with all available staff present, called for coffee, sleep minus a proper room, and garments free of blood as needed. Eda didn't think the boy dressed similarly to his brother but in shaded hued to orange, would like to hear of why she had the clothes on hand.

Finn she felt grateful didn't ask her further about the need to have clothes on hand at work. His further questions to her. One she understood and answered him in a way she hoped would not confuse him. Where she kept the clothes. "Down the hall to the intersection, cross of hall 12 still of course Area 7. Go down the stairs to the door labeled L3, go down that first hall to office E2. I normally keep that place unlocked. You'll find my belongings in the closet."

The second she understood but didn't like. Re-questioning her about his task but asking about what undergarments to pack. It was not a true question. No, it was the sort of thing she should have seen coming talking to an adolescent boy. "Don't, just don't. I'll take care of those myself!" She snapped at him, this second time in recent minutes having to try and control her voice, this time lost unlike her talk with Miss. Cratz.

As she swiftly made her way into her formal office, Finn smiled and turned away to head off for his newly given job. When turning around to do it he got faced with a man that while well into adulthood. He knew probably would have asked the medical practitioner the same second question. Zack Lamberton, a long time employee of the organization in it's information research department. Plus a former detective for ACME, a different organization that had been melded into HAPPY back in 2001. Zack had been approaching Finn unknown to him from behind with a can of soda that he offered the younger man to take.

Cracking it's tin tab upwards to break the seal on the can's lid, Finn thanked his friend for the drink. Then as he started to swig the soda, Zack asked him. "What was that about? I didn't catch what she said to you but she sure didn't look very pleased at you as she left."

"I asked her about, eh, I should have known better and now I have a job to do." Finn answered, before taking another drink.

"Is it important?" Zack asked him back, knowing that whatever the teen had been asked to do, it sadly likely wasn't of some high importance. Finn and his brother Dirk getting low end jobs burned the former ACME official. If this job the kid had just been asked to do was important, he'd drop his meeting with Finn right there and then. If it was not. Then he could chat with him for why he'd sought him out.

Finn stared at his can of soda for a moment before answering Zack, solemnly. "Doctor Venture might be leaving for San Francisco to help with their medical relief effort. She wants me to pack a bag for her."

"You are preparing her belongings for a hypothetical trip." Zack stated, shaking his head to the motion of 'no'. Then afterwards having bit his lower lib for a moment. He slapped Finn on a shoulder, nearly making the boy drop his drink in surprise as the senior agent said. "How would you like some real work?"

"That has my attention." Finn replied, indenting his fingers into the metal of the soda can in expectation of being actually useful. The chance to maybe make a real impact on what took place in HAPPY.

Mystery and adventure, that summed up lightly what Finn knew Zack had once been involved with long ago. When he was just a toddler, Zack had been out in the field going up against international criminals. He had with the aid of his sister Ivy and many helpers from around the globe, foiled heists & evil plots. A large amount of crimes he learned early into knowing Zack, were done by a single woman whom he knew worked for a time for RAGE. She had been behind handing over to Radical Aggression to Genuine Elysium, the technology they tweaked into being the G-Portal. A transportation device that he imagined a real life Stargate portal would be like. The thing made him green to the gills to travel through but it intrigued him.

The man was in his 30's and had been a fully-fledged sleuth during his teen years. Finn felt grateful for the man's attention. He understood what had motivated Zack into taking him under his wing. That while the ACME Detective Agency in a sense was no more. It didn't stop one of it's former best officials from training what he viewed as the next generation for the same type of job. That even though Finn didn't have a policeman's badge under his belt. HAPPY still in part counted as a law enforcement institution.

"Finn, what do you know about MAD? And when I say MAD I mean the Malevolent Agency of Destruction." Zack questioned and stated to Finn as they made their way to the vast cubicle laden workspace, he sat in most of the day.

"I know that they've done some pretty awful things over the years. We at HAPPY have butted heads with them more times then anyone cares to count. Also Zack, I've encountered MAD Agents before. What are you looking into something they're doing?" Finn knew as he asked the last part of what he said, that had to be. He also knew the man was of course throwing him into whatever informational investigation was he was entailed with.

Entering the cubicle garden as Finn had sometimes heard people call it, Zack asked him. "Have you ever heard of a man named Icarus Finch?"

"No," the boy answered rather simply. Although be it Finn knew Zack had the tendency to test his knowledge. All he could think of with that name at least the first part, was a name from Greek myth even though he doubted relation.

Not entirely surprised by the ignorance the younger HAPPY Agent had towards the MAD Agent, Zack explained the man to him. "While you and your brother were dealing with RAGE on that matter of their scheme with the presidential election. Plus the murders being committed to them, and you guys bringing the man doing the homicides to justice. Icarus Finch, one of MAD's Specialized Agents. This guy deals with birds in a nasty way. Don't think he's brutal to them. I mean nasty as in he can somehow connect with them like an evil Doctor Dolittle. The guy can make them do his bidding, like steal. Finn, while you guys had your business. Inspector Heyward's more regular partner caught him and one other if you don't count animals. These guys were ripping off people's money and belongings in Metro City. After getting caught and get this, hospitalized with lock & key added, MAD busted him out."

Almost at Zack's little corner of the world beneath the world, one of his co-workers poked Finn for attention before he could speak up. Zia wanted a word with the novice agent. Finn betted about what before she started to talk to him. "If he is roping you into something please, please only involve yourself in it. Don't place me in it somehow. I still haven't forgiven him for that last little quest of information gathering you two force, swayed me into."

Finn won his bet. She was still upset at him and the former detective for the latest what at least to her felt like a shenanigan of making her use her talents when she felt she could be doing more meaningful tasks. If she was still truly upset at him, and he knew he was less familiar to her than Zack. Wondering on how upset she was, Finn had to query her. "Are you still ready to hang me as you said the last time I was here?"

"I'd never hang you, Finn. But your friend, he I'd more consider the action." Zia responded to him.

Clearing his throat to get Finn's attention and remind Zia she was not alone with his pal. Zack then asked, "the MAD agent?"

"Talks to birds and not in jail. I remember what you just said." Finn replied, defending his memory after the distraction he was now ridding himself of, moving to the nearest wall to him of Zack's cubicle, away from Zia.

The blonde motioned with his hands anticipation to the youth with black hair, he wanted him to speak more on the subject. Betting anew for Finn, and knowing Zack, this had to now be going into studying more what they had been talking about. Finn quickly asked, "you know his whereabouts or you want to know his whereabouts?"

Getting a grip on the back of his personal chair, Zack offered it to Finn saying. "Take center junior detective?"

After accepting the offer and then thanks to wheels on the bottom of the chair's legs, Finn moved to face the computer of the man's work station. Zack helping himself to one of the chairs belonging to the table just beyond his cubicle, then added. "It's not just where he is. I have some idea of that already. It's what he is likely doing."

"He works for MAD, so yeah it properly isn't good." Finn exclaimed, before motioning towards the computer and questioning. "What is it you want me to access?"

The chair from the table not having wheels built into it's legs. Zack lifted it forward before settling it down again now nearer to his desk, to then reply. "I'll pull it up for you."

With a mouse click, the former ACME official brought up what had been a minimized window on his computer's screen. Shown on the window was a news report speculating about a recently discovered health crisis in Virginia. Finn read over the report and looked with curious picking apart detail eyes, at the one photo shown in the report. Workers moving a body covered over on a stretcher into an ambulance. Due to what the news article had said in it, Finn surmised likely that covered body was a person who had just recently died from what he'd been reading about. What he couldn't figure out was what the exact connection this had to Icarus Finch.

"What makes you think this Finch guy is connected to this awful outbreak in Staunton? Fever, loss of control over motor functions, with insanity & death taking some. That doesn't sound like the Bird Flu. Something like this sickness could be pinned towards a guy like him if I guess he commanded the infected birds to strike there. But I see no evidence birds or him have any connection to this." Finn commented to Zack, pointing a finger at the computer screen as he did so.

Trying to focus on a sight less grim than what he'd put on the computer for the boy to see. Zack eyes cast downwards looked at the carpeting beneath him as he answered back. "I should have had a second window up to show you. Finn of all things and I," he paused fighting off a smile as he shook his head before then continuing. "I when looking into this I caught some Twitter comments on it by the locals at the site. Strange birds invaded the place right before this started up. The town's folk, some of them believe the birds are at fault for what is going on. Contact with them."

"Does anyone think there is a connection with MAD on this?" Finn asked.

"Well I do and the government which leapt on this, fast. I don't know how this turned their noggins in the blink of an eye to notice it, but be grateful. They think MAD might be connected but aren't sure how that is exactly." Zack stated, glancing up from the floor to speak directly at Finn.

"Clarify please," Finn requested.

"When HAPPY took in those MAD Agents a while back after the explosion of Mount Everfrost, some of them fell prey to the same symptoms. But what was the cause behind them getting sick wasn't really looked into since MAD nabbed back most of those agents in custody," Zack elaborated.

"What do you know about that case? What happened with MAD's headquarters? Because just after my brother and I learned about our parents dragging us into their work," Finn stopped and blushed at what he was saying. Zack had in a sense been dragged into working for HAPPY but his case had been very different. His parents weren't at fault. Him being a HAPPY Agent came as default of the merger. The man feeling sore about that matter. Finn was never sure how the man felt about what had happened. It was that understanding of it might being opening an old wound that made him stop the verbal path he was on and say, "um sorry if?"

Thicker skinned if that was the case at all, Zack brushed off what Finn was worried about. "Sorry for what? What is it?" He asked, seemingly unclear as to what had made his friend falter in what he was trying to relay to him.

After breathing a sigh of relief, Finn continued and stated. "We read up on all the Inspector's cases. Inspector Heyward or Inspector Gadget as I prefer to want to call him. Zack, that mountain was toxic."

"Now you clarify," Zack requested.

Moving away from the computer, to back the chair he was sitting in against a wall of the cubicle they were in, Finn answered. "The place was on route to hell a.k.a. some kind of dimension filled with hate. When it was stinking into that pit so to speak. It's lower levels had an atmosphere that was dangerous and unbreathable. That I'd say could have made all those MAD Agents sick"

Instead of moving his seat again, intrigued Zack took to now standing in front of his computer, positioned like he was ready to start typing. Ready, but also still wanting to hear more from Finn, he commented before pulling up on screen a window that's command program was over personnel with mission assignments listed as a sub-option of viewing to any given name. "That is something I didn't know about. You think MAD made that toxic stew gas something more?"

"I think it's a possibility they've turned their birds into carriers for it. Weaponized it," Finn guessed as he felt a pit of his own form in his stomach about the thought.

"I wonder why the inspector and his engineering buddy weren't inflected with this ailment?" Zack puzzled aloud as with his attention focused on his computer, while he read over a summary of the mission Finn had been talking about.

"Maybe they just didn't get as much exposure to it as the MAD Agents? Neither of them spent much time in there and remember what you said. Not all of their agents showed signs of the sickness." The younger HAPPY Agent replied, feeling sure about the first part of what he had said even if the he'd stated it in question.

Reviewing the information reported to file, Zack did a second read of it. The inspector had only spent less than even fives minutes in the lower depths of MAD the first time he had been exposed to the toxic haze. When he had returned with his partner, and another in a sense HAPPY Agent. That being a holographic android which understandably didn't have to breath. When those three and single MAD Agent had been exposed, that second time, that lasted just over an hour. It didn't take much to figure more exposure time would have been needed for him or his partner to get sick after those times in the lower levels of MAD's headquarters.

"We need this Finch guy here for questioning." Zack said matter of fact about what HAPPY needed to do in general.

Finn smugly replied, "I think we have two good choices here for that. Both flight capable."

"Inspector Heyward with his helicopter or the guy he works with who caught Icarus Finch, his ... I can't explain the cape tech., but great two on the same team who could catch him!" Zack exclaimed mildly laughing with delight at the agents being well capable of snagging their needed quarry. Then after catching himself, prompted Finn into giving him a high five.

"Now we just have to get Inspector Gadget and Mr. Engenis on to the case of catching this MAD Agent. Can you contact Chief Quimby for me? He doesn't tend to take me too seriously when I try and talk with him. Not sure how he's going to take the request to call those two back from San Francisco given what is happening there." Finn told Zack, and in doing so grabbed the former ACME official by surprise of some kind with the look the teen quickly noticed on his face at the tail end of his statement.

"Is something wrong?" Being relatively new to HAPPY, at least as an employee, Finn worried about messing up. Being fired was not first on forefront in mind to him on if he messed up. Reputation, history, both combined. Separating his current status in life from having grown up around HAPPY's facilities. Not having a position outside child of two established agents. Being counted as an agent now. Proving his salt so far had not come easy from his history, or mixed school records the organization had on file over him.

"When I pulled up the inspector's file a short while ago. The man's place right now. He isn't in San Francisco, he's in Sweden and I don't think Quimby will mind getting him for this assignment when he's not doing a high priority duly for HAPPY. The guy is on a semi-vacation as I see it." Zack responded with an even look that still spoke to say he was wondering about what his apprentice detective had said to him.

"Oh," was all Finn could think to say in reply until Zack grunted, which the teen knew meant the man wanted to hear more. Finding the words he needed, the novice agent continued with, "or someone suspected of being the Inspector is in San Francisco. Yeah, I forgot about Doctor Venture saying that."

After standing up and pausing in thought for a few moments, Zack then spoke up. "I think we'd know fast if this suspect Inspector Gadget is a MAD Agent or even former one. Chalopin and him don't look anything alike. You know I think this makes for yet another pressing reason to get the man back here stateside. I'll contact Quimby for you."

  
Chapter 4:

  
\- Break time - Work time - Worry time -

Pitching, pulling and scrolling around the image on her cellphone's screen, Heather Tabin looked at what was on it with great scrutiny. The image of the bird sent to her looked like nothing she'd ever personally seen or had heard of. The special officer of the Secret Service being so enthralled with her cellphone, was not something Vivian was used to seeing.

Vivian Hill had been working from the Washington DC office for the last six years and had known Agent Tabin since just after having been assigned there. Their relationship had started as being strictly professional to slowly becoming friends. The redhead being engrossed with her cellphone could only mean one thing. Not an interesting text, email, or game. It had to be some kind of research. Questioning Heather she asked, "what are you looking at?"

"Some kind of bird. I've never seen this species before." Heather exclaimed almost under her breath as she tapped the image on the screen to scale it down so she could open the phone's internet browser.

"This is over your nephew? That inflected town, right?" Vivian asked, getting up from where she had been sitting in the break room lounge, she and others were currently trying to kick back in.

It could have been a tad nicer or more fun spirited in appearance. Instead the lounge for the Secret Service Agents, a basement room of the U.S. General Services Administration Building, had the warmth of a military campus commons area. Leave personal thoughts at the door for any artistic room design and have only the bare bones needed to accommodate it's intended guests at any given time. Standing on it's beige carpeting by Heather, Vivian prompted her to enlarge the image of the bird again so she could see it.

"You're right on both, Vifvee." Heather replied to the agent who was part of the motorcade support unit.

Almost taking the cellphone from Heather to get a better look at it's screen, Vivian then commented, "unnatural is what I say. Are your thoughts going there too, Brezo?"

Both woman were supposed to not be working right now. That could very well be said for a fact at that moment. No official needed Vivian to assistance in being escorted from one location to another right then. No one needed Heather to preform one of her many job assigned duties. Vivian dipping into her second language of Spanish on break, caught the rest of the agents in the room off guard in hearing it. Normally she only did that on duly. The circumstances behind change of used language only happened for one of the two following reasons.

One: she was playfully but seriously addressing one of her co-workers or an understanding official who knew her well.

Two: she was using the second language to exact verbal profanity on road traffic as she tried to do her job.

She not being the only one who knew Heather and the extra work she did outside her paid work. The fellow company present of her friends: Neil, Chandler and Melissa. They too were now paying attention to what had the two ladies were fixed on. If Ms. Hill was using her Spanish right now it meant she saw what Ms. Tabin was up to as important.

"I have my suspicions but I'm not about to point a finger just yet. Not without conformation." The former agent of JOY said as she maximized the application again of her internet browser on her phone. Using Google got cut short. Not being on duly at that moment, her phone's ringer at normal volume as opposed to silent vibration. A ringtone she had picked told her who was calling even without her having to note the identification on screen. Answering the call, she asked, "Tommy?"

Sounding wary, he replied. "Did you get the images I shot of the bird?"

"I was about to start looking into what it might be just as you called. Yes, I got the images." Heather answered as the concern she had already been feeling for her close relative grew at hearing his unwell voice. Before he could talk further about what they both knew needed investigative elaboration, she quickly asked. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like shit."

Once finishing biting her tongue about the foully worded reply, Heather responded. "I didn't teach you to talk like that and neither did I'm sure your dad. Rory, has a clean mouth."

As she had been wrapping up her words of disdain for his language, in that pointing out how her brother talked, a note she didn't think about often hit her. Rory Tabin did have a mouth on him for curse words, it just didn't come out as common place for him. He only cursed if something really bad had just happened. Could Tommy have heard him dealing with some form of crisis? Or could this have come from his mom, Bonnie? Television? She knew she shouldn't stress on learning this knowledge right then and instead asked. "How is the rest of troop 603 doing?"

"Only Ryan, and scout leader Marcel are showing signs they have what I do. We were the dumb ones who handled the feather." Tommy answered, sounding pained and regretful towards the end of speaking the words.

Clearing his throat he then asked the Secret Service Agent. "What is the bird? I know it can't be native."

Using the internet browser finally, after the tap to put Thomas on speakerphone. Feeling disappointment and suspicion grow in her as she scrolled through what felt like endless results with the words she'd used for her hunt. The images presented, none looking like the strange raven she was trying to get information on. Who had released the animal into the wild from it's unknown former placement, was now boiling more in her thoughts than a while back. Conformation to that who, she was now feeling more sure on by the second about with each wrong image presented on the phone's screen.

Tommy broke what to him not seeing her, came as silence needing a reply from his aunt. "Do you think it's from the evil darkness Halloween incorporated group?"

Caving into agreement on the thought he had now voiced to her, that she as well had been pondering, Heather told him. "Likely, but I'd have to really look into that before saying anything."

Vivian who'd been listening to Heather's speakerphone conversation like an animal with it's ears perked forward, leapt at about what she could do on her co-worker's behalf. "I can cover for you if you go."

The motorcade woman being not the only one present ease dropping on the loud cellphone call. Chandler Drummond, an agent of the countersniper team. Felt the need to butt into what was being talked about but with his commenting directed at Vivian, lightly hushed as to try to not interrupt the phone call in progress. "You don't have the same type of duties she does. You can't cover for her!"

"I meant in explaining why she wouldn't be at work!" Vivian shot back using the same tone of voice on him as he had used on her.

Listening but knowing he should not interrupt. Tommy spoke up once he'd noticed he didn't hear anymore background banter from the other end with who he was talking to. "Has the one nearest the evil darkness, heard anything about the birds?"

With her free hand, smoothing back the hair on her head from front to back, the former JOY Agent replied. "I haven't heard anything from Jake in a while. Not since the quake hit hours ago and I called him up to ask if he was going to try what I guessed he would. I haven't been able to reach him since. I don't know if he knows anything about the animals."

New information given he hadn't heard about. His camping trip and break from the trip placing him in quarantined hospital care. An earthquake having recently happened was something Tommy had been unaware of until his aunt had brought it up. Not being sure about derailing what they had been discussing, he tried to just lightly touch on it. "Do you think Jake is ok?"

"I don't know. Jake can be tough about how he handles things most of the time, it just depends what. HAPPY being underground, where I'm assuming he is. At least his heights issue isn't a factor here. But if RAGE," she had to pause and try to not think about what could be happening if that were the case.

"Auntie Heather?" Thomas broke in, snapping her out of her depressing thoughts about what could be happening to her best friend at that moment.

Tommy calling her "auntie Heather," only had one association in her mind because it only meant one thing. Her nephew for as far back as she could recall. At least as far back to knowing him since he could walk, talk, and comprehend what an adult was telling him. Tommy Tabin was fixated on the idea one day he wanted to be a protector and provider of justice outside the common police force. He wanted to be just like her and her friend, plus a few people he'd only met once but from stories told, knew a lot about. It had been cute to her when he was younger. It was something that as she acknowledged, him becoming a young adult, she encouraged. But how she'd been sculpted into who she was. How her fellows had been, that he looked up to. JOY had ceased to be before he had been born. The opportunities it had awarded her and them. The doors it had opened up, now were not present.

His chosen path was a hard one and all the man could do was try his best to create those doors for himself, sometimes with her aid. But her aid could only go so far. His auntie Heather comment was a plea to her to get himself involved in what she was placed in. She knew him hearing of HAPPY more so than RAGE. This case being rare since she normally would be dealing with RAGE and not the other. Hearing of RAGE reminded him how she had told him how her service to others had started expanding. That JOY when it had been present, it had allocated more resources her & Jake's way to try and thwart RAGE's schemes. The funding and resources, that while stopping in 1991, did put a damper on the their efforts to stop RAGE in what it was doing. Support thought the government had not entirely died there. Those that knew them, that still had government jobs. They still could pull strings.

HAPPY to Tommy was not some form of an off shoot from JOY. He knew what JOY had been primarily. The Junior Officers of Yeong-Gi, had been a form of government boys & girls group, launched in the 50's. It trained preteens into young adults for government work, mainly to act as non-military protectors that would uphold the ideology of the constitution & law in any way granted to them by the organization. HAPPY which stood for Hector Agents Providence Providence Yare, that while still providing law enforcement did many other things. It was because of how diverse they were one would have to really look into their organization to take in the full scope of it. They were not just with the United States government, they almost had connections to other governments around the globe. They served at diplomatic functions, for science and technology, provided health services, plus disaster aid.

Heather did not know much about them but she did know that catalog of their services had not always been what it was. She knew that after the event of nine eleven is when they had gained their catalog of services condensed. Before that time they had existed but more loosely based and not always under the single name they currently used. Knowing which name connected to HAPPY had created the formal connection to the law was something one day she knew she should look up. It was their law enforcement and goodwill services to others why Tommy was interested in them. Not JOY, but the next closest thing as far as he was concerned.

Heather answered him as best she could. "Not now, maybe one day. You need your rest right now."

He acted like he was ready to say more words she didn't approve of. The Secret Service Agent could hear it in his grumbling before he agreed with her. Once that had happened and she asked for his forgiveness of the act she wanted to do, and had been granted that. Heather hung up on Tommy, hoping he'd go straight to sleep or accept any help the medical professionals on hand to him, could provide.

Melissa Stafford, a member of the special operations section, voiced her thoughts she was sure were shared by all present. "Good luck."

After tapping the back of her cellphone before pocketing it, Agent Heather then proceeded to pace about in the area of the room she had chosen to stand in. Picking it had come unconsciously. It was a semicircle spot nearest the dry erase board they all used at one time or another to sort through what they needed to do day to day. The spot was used at times for their superiors to lecture them if an assignment they were about to fulfill wasn't quite the norm and needed some form of extra attention to detail. Ever since the latest president had been sworn in, it had been used more often than it had ever in the past. None of the agents were fond of this change but even though Heather Tabin outside her position was far from their top dog. She at least they had respect for. While the indented to the floor semicircle was were she had picked to be. Their respect drove them to try and assist her once she had let loose with her thoughts about being wished luck.

"This won't be easy. The town is under quarantine and it's surrounding area. I'm no as near to where RAGE is based compared to Jake and I don't even know how he's doing."

Speaking as he often did as the unofficial alpha to the group of mixed service agents friends, Chandler commented. "Air Force One is not at your disposal for this and you don't have solo granted access to use the PDL."

"I have 300 dollars." Vivian chirped up, hoping maybe her friend could catch a cheap flight or bus trip.

Shaking her head no in realizing why Vivian had opted to hand Heather the money, Melissa then pointed out. "I don't think Southeast Airlines would fly you out to California for that much."

Neil Washburn, spoke up then. Not having his normal company with him, a Bedlington Terrier named Ikanga, to bark at inconvenient timing to his speech. The member of the canine unit was free to safely talk without fear of interruption. "I know how important this is, but can't you just wait until his cellular service returns again?"

Remembering in brief summary what RAGE had not only tried to do to her over the years, but also Jake. Which one of them had suffered more, she was willing to bet him for a multitude of reasons. The thought of simply waiting for his cellular service to return didn't really feel in the cards to her. She had vowed ages back not to let the man out of her sight on missions anymore. Once he had moved out of Washington D.C. that had greatly strained the vow, often making it she could not uphold it. Lives were at stake and likely his among them for very different reasoning unless he too had caught the sickness she strongly suspected RAGE was behind. Although different a thought nagged at her. RAGE might not be behind the sickness. They might not for once be the threatening factor if a monkey-sized feathered nuisance was to be believed. MAD? She didn't think so. Gremlins could rarely be trusted and even though that particular one seemed to have predicted some of the present. The little beast appeared more interested in self preservation than really being helpful when she and Jake had tried to interrogate him. Furthermore another means of events in play which could be threatening his life. If he was only doing what he told her he'd try to do. Lend a hand in trying to help HAPPY employees out of a mess that couldn't be helped with one of their underground locations, using less than stellar constructions in that. To that she was not as worried. But still if the former, what she felt she was right about.

"Jake has a good carrier and it would have to be one heck of an interesting place for him to be in for his phone not to work. Trust me, RAGE if he's dealing with them. Interesting places they can provide, I assure you. Also if he is with HAPPY underground, that too could be a reason his phone is not being reachable, although I doubt that. With their budget, they have to have a good signal going over a mile beneath the earth in places unless they have some kind of special setup." Pausing to catch her breath after having shot out her words with speech comparable to an auctioneer in training or one feeling sluggish. Heather walked up to Neil before she moved forward in what she had been trying to say.

"I can't wait. I have to go."

Explanation said and emphasized when done so, Neil after a couple moments smiled slightly at a fact that struck him about what was going on. A possible solution for his co-worker's pressing problem. Getting up from the recliner he'd been relaxing in, he brought to her attention what he thought could help. "I know a pilot who flies a commercial jet frequently out of BWI. He might be able to do you this. Get you out to Los Angeles if he pulls a few strings."

Good idea presented, not missed by any of the Secret Service Agents, Vivian took further initiative towards Neil's thought. Going over to him, she forced open one of his hands, placing in it the three hundred dollars she'd mentioned earlier. Grasping the money in hand, he stared at it momentarily before looking to Vivian. She explained when seeing the look.

"It's not for you," she told him. Believing him to be in the dark on the handed over cash.

Giving her a friendly small hug, Neil replied. "I know, I guessed as much. This I'm sure will help sway my buddy more than just a verbal request."

Breaking the hug, Vivian backed away from him, and sternly said. "I'm not Ikanga."

"I'm aware of that too." Knowing he should have known better then to show Vivian the gesture of appreciation. A hug being something she had witnessed him do to his partner more than once. The act always being connected to Ikanga having done something he was trained to do correctly. The woman always wanting to be treated with decency, and having a what she mentally connected as a "dog hug" done to her? Neil blushed before continuing to say, "that wasn't meant to be of offense to you."

"Forgiven," the motorcade woman said before she walked away to go to the room's K-Cup machine to get a drink.

Taking point, Chandler gave Heather an approving look of expression before checking his watch about remaining supposed respite time. The break room's latest downtime or what should be downtime, extra job work was now done. It had taken, he didn't want to count when he had just settled into the room and had started reading emails on his mini-tablet. He wanted to count away from that time starting the moment when all their eyes had started to fix on Heather, when she was reacting to having just gotten the images of the plague bird on her cellphone. The extra job work had taken about ten minutes to deal with. Five minutes left of his break time also noted. To check more emails? Nah, he figured as he joined Vivian at the K-Cup machine to get himself some green tea.

\- No Hands Needed Car Trip -

It had been an eventful time in Riksgränsen, Sweden even if brief. Being requested at urgency to return to HAPPY in the United States and at that to at disaster zone, two reasons underlying his recall. First someone HAPPY was concerned about had entered their underground facilities, who some at first had believed to be him. The person clearly not and whose behavior had caused them to run up a red flag in alert. The second reason, looking into capturing and trying to maybe resolve a public health crisis created by a MAD Agent he'd heard of but had never personally dealt with. A mister Icarus Finch Esquire, a bothersome man, Alan had dealings with months back and have come out from nearly unscathed.

Thinking about why he'd been prompted to go to the town he was now departing, to again be shuttled by driverless car. Being on route to the nearest international airport along with his niece, her dog, and his work partner. He commented to Alan sitting in the passenger seat. "I'm one of them and yet I'm so different from them Alan."

Stopping the task he'd decided to take on in returning to work mode after having been granted a pause of indulgence at local bookstores. The type of which the cyborg knew had no factual & educational contents in the pages of the booked they were hawking. Alan sighed through his nose and replied. "Not everyone gets access to what you were given."

Looking at himself and then moving up one sleeve of his shirt to feel the indents of what others called his banning. The rings that covered not only his forearms, but his legs and neck as well. These ban lines as he called them where all people could see on the surface that indicated one's neck or limbs could extend beyond their natural limits by interlocking piping. The lines came off as looking like minor indents in the skin because of their close proximity to one another, almost giving the skin a wrinkling look. He then said, "I'm so much more advanced. They deserve I don't know. You know I wasn't ok with being a cyborg at first, that it took me a long time to accept that. What if, just what if anyone who needed this got it. Would they be fine with it?"

Now closing the notepad he had been scribbling technical theorising in, Alan answered. "The field of Bio-Technology in medicine has been on the fringe for as long as I've known of it. There aren't many doctors and engineers who care to pursue the path it takes to putting it really out there. Those people out there likely will never get the high care you got at least not until it's a widely spread practice."

Turning his gaze to the approaching high noon lit passing countryside and pushing back down his shirt sleeve, the inspector HAPPY Agent questioned. "Just out of curiosity how long has it been around? Chalopin is my only real example outside what we know MAD has done and even then they did nothing with humans and technology until after they found out about me."

Tucking his notepad into a cubbyhole built into a resting spot which divided his space from John's, Alan told him. "I know from reading it's something that started getting messed around with decades ago. Anything note worthy from that work is what you saw before you in the Cybathlon Meet and what we've seen. I'll admit I haven't read every paper on the subject but then again not everything can be found online or in books."

From the engineer to the road outside and back to then the younger man again. Driverless cars being something which the inspector knew he'd have to start getting used to. Not having to keep his eyes on the road even though he had not needed to touch the sheering wheel so far during the trip they were making. A bolt of fear surging through him. Not at the state of the art technology in the sedan, but the state of the art technology embedded in his body. John stated, "that scares me you know. You worked on me and you don't know everything there is to know on the subject."

Not wanting to make eye contact at first, trying to make the ceiling of the vehicle feel interesting as he stared up at it. Alan responded with, "historical at this point John. I've read everything relevant." He broke from looking at the ceiling to his co-worker and friend. What he had to say next he knew the other man didn't want to hear but it was something which pressed on him to relay aloud. "Some books are no where to be found now, they weren't in high demand for printing years ago so they've been lost."

"Tell me what I should know Alan, what you didn't read." John requested, as he made a sour face about what he had just been told. A fear of what could likely only be perceived as more deeply concerning information on the way. The possibility the man chiefly responsible for the inlay of his machine parts, not knowing entirely how to do his work.

Listing off Alan relayed, "Riener, Hornsnet, Kloimstein, Fricker, Cooper."

John had never heard any of the names before and that showed nonverbally as Alan looked on at him seeing his look of inquisitiveness. While the inspector had been the one to question what knowledge Alan lacked. Himself being ignorant of the names struck him as a minor blow to his own education even if prior to his transformation into a cyborg. He had never cared even once to learn anything about the field of Bio-Technology Science. Being a man always on the lookout for ways to improve his formal education with expanded reading. While not having an interest at all in what Alan had helped perform on him. Not remembering seeing any books on the subject be it in a local library or bookstore, now didn't come as a shock given what the tech had recently relayed to him during the conversation so far. Wanting to be enlightened further, John asked. "What did they do?"

Patting John on the arm as he spoke, answering with what he hoped the 40 year old would accept as finalizing facts. To hopefully not be compelled into further anxiety over what had been done to him. Alan said, "documentation, the early work John. What I do was built from. You needn't worry. You turned out ok."

Making a gruff noise in his throat as he turned his expression from that of being intrigued to sheer grumpiness. John replied, "tell that to Chalopin."

In defense Alan retorted in saying, "I didn't work on him." Grumpy look further defined from John in reaction, Alan further commented. "HAPPY, Eda and I and others, we want to help the guy. He isn't lost."

Satisfied the man he saw a as unfortunate lab rat tested on prior to him joining HAPPY, getting overdue medical attention thrust his way. Inspector Heyward feeling less tense about his situation and in a congratulatory mood to the former security guard included, replied simply saying, "good."

\- The Super 7 Motel -

Willard MacBorneo, like any of his comrades with him working for MAD, had not been wild about the long drive it had taken to get from Weda' Dembai Lake, Idaho to Miles City, Montana. Uneventful and too slow. He preferred air travel and the fun one on one bouts with TSA Agents. That is before they realized who he worked for and further more what he could easily do to them. When they had all departed their SUVs to stretch and make themselves at home for the time being as it were with the Super 7 Motel they'd decided to stop at for the night. When he'd heard a passed down order for everyone to subdue the motel's staff and make them willing to cooperate with MAD. Willard was only too happy to participate with the order. With the order having not been directed at any particular agent, it meant truly all of them could do their own idea to what Claw wanted.

Not since he'd had access to a proper lab had he been able to do his specialty. Biological warfare as he saw it should be more legal among governments than it was. If it was then he'd have never had to seek out non-government work to let his talents shine. His last truly felt useful time with his contained germs and toxins in a proper setting, had been shortly before he'd heard they'd be gaining new headquarters soon and all of them would have to relocate for that. Then he'd been forced to return to his house boat living quarters to get ready for the move. He had not even had time to see the genetic engineered creations he had helped guide MAD's scientists to make, leave the nest of their hatching. The birds that in their blood, in their DNA carried the Hell Mist Dice Disease. He knew what the disease he'd changed from it's formerly gaseous contaminant, could do. He'd tested it on those who his boss wanted no more of. Since those tests he'd had no chance to see his new gift to the world, take action.

The Super 7's manager needed to know MAD meant business. That he should not call the cops and if he'd even glanced at the emergency alarm to reach them, that was unthinkable as well. Willard had decided he wanted the privilege of taking care of the manager to those ends. A small dose of the Hell Mist Dice Disease from a loaded syringe was all it would take to achieve those goals. If the man died from the small dose, well that meant he had really fashioned himself a prize credit to his record of accomplishments. He had added "dice" into the name of the disease since it effected everyone differently but it was always certain things it would do. Death was it's most extreme act on the body but personally he liked it more when the infected person went crazy more then it's other possible effects.

Sadly this wasn't his day to see this latest glory do it's more nasty work. The manager only seemed to be showing signs of the fever it sometimes brought on. Grabbing a chair from the motel's lobby and placing it behind the check in counter, he sat down in it. Attention fixed on the manager in agony, he failed to notice when he'd been joined by more company. The company questioned him, breaking his wondering thoughts about how to improve upon the disease to insure it's dice effect tended to lean into being more lethal than it already was. "Have you chosen a room yet? Or do you intend to stay there all night?"

"Huh?" The MAD Agent whose specialty laid Biological Cytology Engineering, had barely took notice of the questions presented by another of his ranking even though specially skilled in a different field. Finch didn't take offense about the lack of acknowledgement but frankly it concerned him a little.

Willard was one of the agents Doctor Claw had praised for his latest work. Work that was still in play even if he wasn't directly involved with it any more. To Finch, the man acting distracted as a flock of plague carrying birds wreaked havoc with a disease he had not cared to create a cure for? That bothered him. The what if it somehow backfired in on MAD and MacBorneo didn't care to try and help them because he'd moved on to something else he saw as important. The man also concerned Finch for another reason, what the bio-engineer was famous for. He never wanted to be on it's receiving end directly. Already not in Willard's personal good graces. The avian specialist felt just a bit glad the other man hadn't really noticed his questions.

As Finch decided he didn't want to stick around to try and press Willard again on what he was asking. As the man of Turkish ancestry started again heading in the direction of the hallway he knew would lead him to his room. Willard turning away from the motel's manager, and noticing him. "What were you saying chicken man?"

Birdman, chicken man, neither nickname bothered Finch. But "chicken man" was a name Willard solely used on Finch. It other MAD Agents had agreed, felt fitting to be used on him even if they didn't care to say it themselves and so kept on calling him birdman instead. Willard had started to call Finch by the new nickname when he had refused to help with their latest mission.

Finch had the ability to direct birds most of the time to do anything he wished them to. But not accepting the job of commanding the plague flock. That decision had forced MAD to further sink money into the project to get more skilled men working on how to work around his refusal. The chicken had created a delay with Willard's most recent accomplishment getting acknowledged to the world.

"Nothing. It wasn't important." Finch got out, grateful he'd been able to control his voice when he felt sure if Willard had used a different tone to him, he would have stammered.

Not wanting to let go of the chicken just yet. Wanting to verbally confront him more than he had already on several previous occasions. Willard heightened his voice and questioned as if announcing, "you know you're nothing right? You have your little pets but can't do jobs with them anymore. How does that make you feel!?"

Turning towards Willard and pointing towards the ceiling above them was all Finch could think to answer with. He didn't want to speak to the man. Didn't want to try and pick a fight right there even if the temptation was present. He himself was a bit of a hothead. That was not something he denied. But acting on his first impulse to a man who regularly carried loaded with deathly diseases, hypodermic syringes? That just wasn't wise. He'd now need to blow off some steam on someone else.

Continuing to watch Finch as he headed out of sight into the nearest hallway, Willard laughed at him. After he'd felt he had dealt a decent jab at the chicken man, he returned his attention back to the motel's manager. Eyes closed but giving fitful movements, Willard tried to determine what was going on inside the man. Betting it was likely just feverish sleep, disappointed him. A coma would be a much more interesting state for the man to be in.

Opening a case filled with his personal arsenal of revenge and fun, he felt on the verge of being ready to fix that state of sleep to being a deeper one. Remembering Doctor Claw might not approve of this, stopped him in his tracks. Approval would have to be granted first. Fortunately reaching the giver of the hopeful authorization was near by. Claw now had the manager's rooms. Two spaces the feverish man would normally be putting to use if not for his current state. An office and connected into that, one of the finer motel rooms meant for why the place existed. A place of rest.

\-----

That is not what the suite held for Doctor Claw at that moment. Unrest, at hearing reports from his MAD Agents in the field doing their mission assignment of creating terror using the plague carrying birds. It was known the town of Staunton and it's surrounding area, the place had been inflected. The government minus being contacted by MAD had some how become alert to the situation. His agents in the area had not even had the chance to tell the locals why their town had been picked before action started being taken of quarantine. A demonstration of what MAD had in it's control, a new killer blight which had no cure but could be held at bay of being spread. The quarantine had blocked his agents from entering where the main populous was. He was upset and needed to rectify the mission in play.

The adjoining room to the one he was in, the office normally used by the motel's manager, it was accommodating to help with such a need. Ignoring the stickered across it blemishes showing the location of every Super 7 across the nation with phone numbers to boot. The map helped him think about where might his agents in control of the flock, strike next. His alone time in contemplating this got put to an end with a knock on the door to the office which connected out to the space behind the check in counter of the lobby. Not irritated much by being interrupted, having all but announced his now further plans to his employees, Dr. Claw answered the knock. "Is this important?"

On the other side of the door, Willard felt compelled to keep to where he was standing and not enter the office. He knew as well as anyone else, you never moved forward directly with armored gloved leader to them all, unless he told you it was ok. Willard taking on an air of professionalism in his voice he'd felt no need to use in Finch's presence, replied. "I only want your permission to subdue the manager of this establishment further, Doctor Claw."

"You may proceed, but first I need you in here." Doctor Claw replied to specialized MAD Agent, as he opened the door which the man had knocked on a moment earlier.

Lightly stunned but not in a state of fear that he knew most of his co-workers would take at Claw initiating a confrontation with any of them. The lack of fear coming from to his knowledge he had done nothing against the grain to MAD or it's leader. The bio-engineer stepped forward into the office and waited for his boss to take further initiative & tell him why he was needed at that moment. Wagging a armored finger to Willard, Doctor Claw then pointed it in the direction of the map in front of him.

Confused, Willard questioned aloud what MAD's leader was indicating. "The route planned to have us in Nekoma by the time we've hopefully secured our new permanent headquarters. Something is wrong with it? Road construction?" Pausing as if the thought were a grasp at a straw, he then added, "law enforcement?"

Using a voice that sounded more menacing than normal, Dr. Claw replied. "We need a larger target. One that can't be sectioned off easily. Staunton, that effort became a wasted thing. We lost our opportunity too soon."

To what could have gone wrong in Staunton, Willard inwardly started speculating about. He knew the town wasn't a large target and so it's loss of population would not bother those outside of it too deeply just by that mere fact. Knowing just from what he'd been told, that sectioning off was an issue. That he guessed maybe the town had been thrown into quarantine faster than expected. Not sure how big Doctor Claw wanted this taken for the second place targeted, Willard said a name at random, "Pittsburg Landing."

From underneath the brim of the hat that obscured most of Dr. Claw's face. Without seeing the man's face, Willard could tell the name had given his leader pause. But why that was? Why had he picked that town? Pittsburgh was pretty large and he remembered it had been under consideration for a time to house MAD's new headquarters. Although Pittsburg Landing? At that moment he wished his brain didn't work how it did. Flashing upon inspiration from sources which felt random but most often worked well to whatever ends he was working on.

"Death, a bloodbath, the place of the Battle of Shiloh." Doctor Claw commented, whether to himself or Willard, the bio-engineer wasn't sure without seeing his eyes. Returning his attention, the lower MAD Agent knew had to be to the map by head turn, Claw then said. "A choice I applaud but no. It would not suit this."

Not wanting to misstep with MAD's top dog, Willard hesitated before asking. "Could you elaborate to me further what sort of place it is you would like for a target, sir?"

After rapping his fingers against the map on the state of Tennessee, in contemplation. Doctor Claw dropping that act then with the same hand, now covered New Jersey and part of the Atlantic Ocean. Seemingly now attention fixed on the state holding the better known Pittsburg, however spelled differently. He spoke up, "without our agents alerting the media of our actions a minor amount of progress has been made. The internet in places. I find that unacceptable."

Opening his mouth to speak and then thinking better of the act, Willard awaited his boss to take a further step in what he needed to say. The Specialized Agent's opinions while considered valuable to a point by Doctor Claw, when needed, this wasn't something he knew he should speak up on. He knew biochemistry not the sorted network that was the world wide web. While he could surf for information, check emails, and make use of it's global delivering virtual stores. An expert he was not. MAD had lost it's data digger months ago without explanation. Not even discovery of an arrest warrant which normally held the key to finding missing agents. Doctor Spectrum had somehow fallen off the map. He'd have known what Doctor Claw saw as wrong with the internet being a source of information discovery to one of MAD's latest endeavors. Frankly this stumped the bio-engineer.

Realizing his underling had no intentions of saying whatever he'd opened his mouth to say, Dr. Claw further explained. "What we are doing. Our poisoning of the people to get those in power with money to take notice of us. The ransom, we need to draw attention to it of no more lives lost for what we want. We need a target the televised news portals will notice."

As Doctor Claw slid a armored finger from the more known Pittsburgh across the map to Philadelphia, Willard figured out what had been wrong. The man was old school and didn't view the internet as a valuable source of information over certain matters. He had hired another of Willard's rank to sort through the internet's information for him, that man was gone. The understanding specialist who would have eased the man over computer information trust. Plus with the growing complaints over what sources could be trusted online. Doctor Claw had to feel their work in Staunton was being met with skepticism from anyone who encountered it's notation on the web.

"The City of Brotherly Love?" Willard asked, positive Dr. Claw had made his choice. The statement from the boss having been nonverbal. Hearing confirmation aloud was always helpful in the presence of a man who could easily kill you for a mistake, even a small one like an assumption.

"This nation's second capital and a cesspit that needs to be wiped clean. I have never seen it for it's nickname, for it's validity." Doctor Claw replied, confirming the choice.

"No siblings," Willard then questioned. Wondering if his boss's disdain for the nickname was of the known more figurative sense of it or if it was a family thing.

Clenching both his fists, Doctor Claw turned towards his subordinate. Willard didn't have sufficient time to back away from the man. While the leader of MAD was older than him, he was still fast. Death the bio-engineer felt grateful was not the result, but instead a shove up against the wall just to the side of the door he'd come in through. Growling Dr. Claw answered, "Theodore is not important right now, understand?!"

Fear drove Willard to simply nod agreement to Doctor Claw's desire not to continue with talk of relatives. Idiocy he felt, drove him to open his big mouth again. "Um, what about the nation's current capital, Washington D.C.?"

Relaxing his hold on the Specialized Agent, then removing his contact from the man, Doctor Claw replied. "Nothing would please me more, but I doubt it will come to be necessary."

"Done?" The cytology expert of Scottish background asked almost in a squeak of a voice, eager to leave the office.

In a backwards short distance fall, Doctor Claw's back met the wall with the map on it. The hour was feeling late and he knew when dealing with his agents, when they acted as Willard was now, there was not much point in speaking to them. Earned reputation he enjoyed having made people like the graying haired man before him, fear him. Looking at Willard's ashen face expecting the worst, Dr. Claw then waved for him to leave the room. The lower in rank MAD Agent with haste leaving his presence so abruptly, he forgot one detail of his departure. Doctor Claw fixed the detail. Moving away from the wall he'd chosen to lean up against just moments ago, he left to make his way back to the door of the office to close it.

\-----

As he slowly finished off his dinner, Finch watched the fan affixed in the center of the ceiling, spin it's blades at an equal pace to his eating. They didn't seem to be doing anything other than their motorized propelled motion. If they were forcing the air to move about his room, he couldn't feel it. Lucky for him the fan's presence wasn't needed at that time. The room's temperature was conformable. Why it was on had not been his doing. He'd found it in motion just after he'd entered the room for the first time, after proclaiming to his fellow MAD Agents near by him in the hallway, it was his.

The room also had an air conditioning unit built into the wall by the room's one large window. Given how useful the fan seemed at it's job, he guessed it had been either installed in there for show, or if the AC unit broke. If the latter then the fan had to have controls somewhere he had not noticed yet.

It he couldn't help comparing it right now, it was currently making him think of a helicopter. The transportation winding down it's motor as it ceased it's operational usage. A helicopter made very noticeable movement of the air surrounding it as it flew. So did planes, so did jets, so did rockets. Each displaced their surrounding airspace when in flight. When he had wore his flight suit, with it's jet engine firing off from it's center placement on his back. That too had cooperated with the normal laws of physics. Birds while not having anything manufactured by man to them, flew by natural design. They too in flight he understood. So why couldn't he solve the puzzle of the flight ability by the man who had not only cost him a mission but also his flight suit?

Sydney and Bruce had told him to lay off the obsession of trying to figure it out, but he couldn't. But if he could never figure it out that only left him one path back to the sky. The delay his old suit had in maneuvering. It had never been a problem prior to his accident. Overconfidence had lead to the accident, against a foe he'd yet to figure out. So in that if it was just a single mystery of physics he couldn't fathom, then all he'd need extra to help him in flight was added protection.

He'd be damned if he let Willard MacBorneo say anything for truth with him. He was more than his peculiar talent of shepherd to aves' actions. Being pinned to the ground was something he'd fix. He'd have a new flight suit, a better one. All he needed for it was added padding.

Not wanting to have his thoughts go to waste, he almost leapt out of the chair he'd been sitting in to race to his bed with nightstand positioned by it. Just as expected with any motel or hotel he'd ever stayed in. This one had it's standard contents in the top draw of the nightstand. One menu of a promoted national restaurant chain, who'd deliver kindly right to his room, plus a pen branded with the establishment's name, and small notepad of paper. Grabbing the pen and pad of paper he got to work jotting down everything he could remember about the lost flight suit in it's design specifications. Finch wanted to see the words on paper and not just in his head. If he was going to make a better flight suit, he'd have to compare the old design parameters to the new ones he intended to put on the same paper.

Hitting a snag after writing down in full how the metal parts all came together that connected to the jet engine, he froze with the pen. All the metal in it had been custom made. Only MAD had the stuff and it only had come from one agent, a missing one. Finch had doubts that Lucius Ambrosius was dead, so he thought otherwise, missing. Ambrosius had held a position with MAD less criminal than most. He was one of it's internal laborers. He'd been with MAD on it's creative engineering end. The organization's cyborg animals had benefited from him greatly. He had created a new metal meant make the animals lighter than they'd be if they contained in their machine parts, common place metals. Lighter metals meant barely audible moving internal mechanics and even when the metal parts moved externally, they'd make less noise. The lighter metal also meant the cyborg animals were easier to lift for transport.

Sichalcum had been his prize creation until he had decided he could do better. Ambrosius wanted to make a variant on his prize work. One that could store solar energy and relay that energy into the machine parts it was connected to for a less complex design. Less moving parts meant less chance of break down. The modern day alchemist had sought out make this dream a reality and that was the last Finch had known directly of the man. Telling Finch as he boarded an elevator inside MAD's old headquarters, set for the floor labeled Sonto 1, he added he even was going to try and make the improved alloy a different color, yellow was what he hoped for.

Sonto 1 had numerous sections to it, all of them had been administrative. Finch's co-workers at concluded to this note, the alchemist had done what he had viewed as the right thing. Running his new goal by Doctor Claw in hopes of it being approved for him to pursue work on. That when the leader of MAD heard of the man's idea, it somehow displeased him and that in turn had caused Ambrosius to lose his life. But Finch had not heard of anyone cleaning up his pal's body. Nor had he heard of the carnivorous animals MAD kept, disposing of it either. He figured somehow Ambrosius had gotten lucky. The carrot haired, fat man had avoided being dispatched by Doctor claw and or pet cat. How Finch couldn't figure out but he had ideas about the mystery. The idea he fixated on was that Mount Everfrost thanks to how it had been hollowed out back in the 1930's, contained many many hidden solid rock corridors which opened up into the establishment's many rooms and outdoors even. Ambrosius might have known of one which would allow him to escape to outside the mountain to the town outside of Warland, minus Doctor Claw or cat being able to follow him.

Finch missed him and missed what he could do. That Sichalcum he'd known how to create was a blessing. While humans didn't have hollow bones like birds, and most metals tended to weigh a lot when heavily used in a project. Sichalcum had been so light it was what had made his flight suit practical to be built. It had provided him external hollow bones that provided him more ease to break away from the Earth's gravity, than he could have hoped for with his jet engine. Now without his help to provide the Sichalcum, the birdman not only had to rethink his protection. He also had think of how to secure a more beefier, more powerful jet engine for the new suit to handle the normal alloys in bulk.

Finch thought about that as he laid back on his king-sized bed. In boredom the pen he'd been writing with found it's way to his mouth as he held it's cap end in his teeth and flicked it about. MAD had plenty on it's plate right now and he doubted Doctor Claw would approve him pursuing the project at that moment because of that fact. Could he somehow do the project behind MAD's back?

He held the pen like a rod in place as he considered how might such a thing be done. Having just recently thought about his missing pal, that beyond doubt sure as hell hoped wasn't dead. Ambrosius vanishing at the dawn of a proposed project gave Finch cause for thinking of personal caution to the matter. Looking at the spinning ceiling fan didn't help his puzzle of predicament. A helicopter which couldn't go anywhere and seemed useless. It didn't make air. He needed air.

Getting up from the bed and moving to the lounge chair nearest the door, he grabbed for the olive hued hoodie he'd removed from himself after he'd entered the place. Putting it on, made him feel ready to take on new challenges. Maybe that was because he'd owned it for a very long time. He'd had it prior to creating the lost flight suit and when the suit had been in the making, he had proposed to Ambrosius, it be used in the design. The man had refused to use it and had instead procured him a blue and green one for the project.

Once he'd left the room, the hallway in it's sprawl to either side of him. It was a no-brainer which path to take to make his way outside. Not the path which would eventually find it's way to the main entrance of the building. Willard was in that direction, in the lobby area. Nah, he needed the back exit and to, he stopped that idea fast. To the roof to really get some air. For now he'd just have to settle for the ground, no choice in that.

Moving down the hall he noticed he wasn't the only one out of their room to catch a breath, or at least soda? He was baring witness to not only fellow Specialized Agents like himself, but internal laborers and also grunts moving around carrying or drinking from pop cans. Had one of the SUVs they'd been transported in, carrying a large stash of the drink? Yes, could have been the answer but that didn't feel quite right. Something was going on and he wanted to know what that was. Going even further down the hall, the answer started to come to him even if it wasn't visible to him then what that was.

"Bbsskk! Bam bam!"

As Finch drew closer to the sounds, it became more evident what was talking place. "Bam!" Laughter could be hear sometimes after the sound of impact. "Bsskk!" Requests could also be heard as he moved closer still to the source of the loud noises and the content fellow agents gulping down their new drinks. "Bam!"

"Sydney! See if you can score me an orange!" Came one request in shout from the unseen space inside of a the venting machine / laundry room. It was open to the hallway, no door as far as Finch could see approaching it.

"Bbsskk!" At the entrance to the room where all the action was taking place. Finch saw his sometimes partner in crime, beating up a soda machine "Bam!"

Sitting on one of the tables meant for laundry folding, a man Finch barely interacted with because of being new to MAD, he'd heard others call Pike, slapped one of his legs. He'd done the act because of apparently the observation of what the lady grunt had lifted out from the slot of the soda machine. Some type of generic lemon & lime drink held, the man wasn't happy about the find and voiced as much. "Yep, yeah girl close be no cigar."

Rude was all the bird shepherd could think to add to describe the man. He knew the guy wasn't a specialist because if he had been there would have been a welcoming gathering that consisted of everyone at that employment rank telling him what he could expect of his new professional association, that never happened. Him ordering a grunt or if one wanted to sound insulting said aloud, goon around. Finch guessed the man likely was not on Sydney's rank level.

In the room were a few agents however he did know. Quinn Masters, Rye Gregor, Peg Lee Phelps, Moss Luciano all fellow specialists. All not paying Pike's behavior with any mind as Sydney, as Finch could tell clearly annoyed, handed him his can. Now drink in his possession, the man held it close to Sydney as if ready to flip it's tab, saying. "Want a refreshing bath muscles?"

Other grunts were in the room too, all he knew and all he'd had working under him at some point or another in the past. Bruce, Finch's last one to work under him as of late, seemed to be the only person present that besides himself, also saw Pike's attitude was not being well mattered. Within MAD, behavioral etiquette was an interesting thing. While none among them were good people, they all knew it was in their best interest to try and respect their comrades.

The duo feeling of discontent felt about what was happening, both Bruce and Finch locked eyes with each other in silent communication. Neither man was pleased about what was happening and Finch knew it had to feel more personal to Bruce because Sydney was of his same employment rank. If they had a further relationship other than professional, Finch wasn't aware of it.

Sydney wanted none of crap of the man before her. Balling a fist was all she did in response to Pike's threat of a carbonated spray bathing, outside a show seething fire in her eyes. Finch was sure Pike didn't see that fire as he then smiled and cracked open the can away from her to take a drink. His focus keep on her the whole time, doing the act as if to somehow mock her in accepting the drink at last. Or appearing at least to accept it.

When the lady grunt turned away from him to face the battered drink machine again, he put down his can to start walking over to her. That was when Bruce decided he'd had enough of what he was witnessing and feeling that action being taken as a cue, Finch moved in turn with him. Both made it to Pike before he got close enough to Sydney to touch her.

Pike whipped his head to look at both Finch on one side of him and Bruce on his other side, as both agents placed restraining hands on his shoulders. Confused and glaring, Pike asked to both confronting agents, "chill both of you! What you don't think she needs to be taught how to do her job right?!"

Using a twitch of a smile and light nod to Finch, both used in getting the man's attention. Bruce asked him the question of, "should the grunt teach him how things are done Birdman?"

At hearing the proposal of a person of their status ranking put to work, the grunts not involved in the dispute instinctively turned their attention on the the trio or more accurately quartet counting Sydney. She too was not immune to hearing the possible call to action, and turning around to see the bearer of the voice belonged to who she thought it did, Bruce. That surprised her but what further shocked her was who he was with. She had not noticed the bird shepherd enter the room. Both men were confronting Pike Wicks, and to the fact it was a fellow grunt who had made the query.

She could see in her mind, Bruce's plan of action and she hoped her friend was wise enough to realize it. Looking around the room, she wondered if any of her fellows pay grade company knew what was going on. Sydney was sure they did as their attention to was focused on the group. Finch being a Specialized Agent, a man of higher rank than Bruce or herself, and every other grunt present. He didn't let them down in replying to the MAD Agent across from him with the organization's symbol shaved into his hair.

"Yes, do teach him how things are done grunt. She did try her best to do what was asked of her all be it not for someone of high standing, whatever that is." Finch started with his focus starting simply on Bruce, but it quickly migrated to the man's fellow grunt workers, to then on to Pike, with a smirk.

"I work in assets discover group!" Pike proclaimed, glaring at Finch.

To Finch's new knowledge of knowing what exactly the man did for MAD which he had known had to be below him in rank. It made his smirk deepen and a glare of his own was added in the exchange. Replying to the man whom Finch was sure mainly acted as an internal laborer because those in assets discovery didn't venture out much into the world despite what their job called for. Assets discovery being the employment term for those who found valuable items it was in MAD's best interest to secure or more accurately steal. "I don't really care that's your position but you know what my position is?"

Not knowing the bird shepherd more then having seen his presence since joining MAD. With added once in a while in the company of he assumed a pet blackbird, and sometimes other aves, Pike shrugged his shoulders by way of reply. Noticing this, having not left their attention off the confrontation, the grunts not involved in it awaited their cue. Finch ready then in a justified position gave them, all of the grunts present what they wanted. "I'm a Specialized Agent, which means my rank is just below that of Doctor Claw's. It entitles me to have as many grunt workers as need be under me for a job and they have to obey my orders. So I saw they need to teach you something."

As the grunts who were until now away on the sidelines, moved forward to take their shots at Pike, Bruce tapped the man's chin once lightly before slugging him across his jaw. Impressed by what she was seeing as her comrades moved in to then pummel the assets discovery employee. Sydney strangely for once didn't feel like joining in on the lynch mob scene she was witnessing, she just wanted to enjoy watching it.

While this took place Finch then looked to his fellow MAD Agents who held his same job status. All seemed engrossed in watching the fight of what was mainly Pike having the living tar beaten out of him. The only action taken by Moss, that of taking a gulp of his soda. The only action of acknowledgement to what Finch had done, a thumbs up from Quinn, directed at him.

Steering clear of the fight in progress, Sydney made her way over to Finch. Finch that outside of looking smug, didn't seem to have noticeable plans why he was even present. When both of them had been cooped up in the same SUV riding to the motel, she had asked him what he was planning on doing once they'd made it to their overnight pit stop. It had been only passing the time chitchat but she had taken his word for what he said he was going to do. Relax and stay away from anyone who had beef with him over his rejection of assignment. She thought that must have meant staying in his room but seeing him now. Surely he had not seen the conflict with Pike coming. Maybe he was there for something else? Something she could provide?

"I can't promise what flavor. I mean the cans just seem to fall at random, but if you like I can get you a drink too?" She asked him in strong suspicion that was why he was present.

"Not thirsty, but thanks anyway." He replied, looking at the lightly dented venting machine, to then the lady grunt.

Shifting from one foot to another in balance, trying to evaluate her friend's motive for being present further. Sydney then questioned him, "what then lead to the break from the alone time in your room?"

"I just wanted to get some air. Get outside. Problem I'm facing. It doesn't have a resolution I see an easy path with." The words he was saying, what he was trying to convey to her. Simply it was not something he could sum up in a snap. However while a person like Pike was a MAD Agent neither knew well. She knew Finch well enough to be able to read into his broken wording to see something important lay within it.

"That problem, care to tell me about it? We don't have to talk about it here. The back way exit to this place isn't that far away," she queried to him.

Nodding in agreement, Finch then told her. "I think for both our sakes that sounds like a good plan."

\- Not MAD But Not Content Either -

Eyeing looks of disapproval, curiosity, and fear is what the trio of former MAD Agents with felines in tow, got directed at them. To those the reactions, the humans of the group felt likely they had to do with the jungle cats rather than themselves. One however wanting to disagree early on. Louis had to point out to Terry, no one knew him there so no one would be afraid of him. When Annie had noticed the first look of fear, she had made light of what they were doing in her own way and had invited the scared city resident to be their prey. Why they'd been moving around what the city of Cavalier consisted of. It had been to discover where they might locate help for their what they hoped would go down as the deepest double crossing in history.

The only break from that had been a meal, and that had caused not only the reactions they had gotten roaming the streets. But action all of them had been craving, to full stomachs. Formerly of lesser rank to Terry, now equal to him because they had job rankings no more. Louis had dismissed the thought of what they were doing being beneath them almost at it's start. The smells coming from the fast food joint overtaking his judgment of self pride as he made his way to behind the order counter to create a customized late night dinning experience from the make line just a short distance behind it.

When it became admitted they were all duly tired, a fact which was hard to be said solo by any of them. The lady warrior slash expert survivalist with still more talents she didn't get to use regularly. A man used to getting his way by use of trickery & deception but more importantly his muscles and ability to intimidate. A second man that until last year had not seemed very intimidating except in height, now had enhanced strength and abilities most would deem nightmare fantasy. They stopped to lean against the wall of a building just a block from where their journey had started.

"Waaeett!" Terry said as he in air, not touching the skin, slid one of his talon extended out fingers across his neck in a swift motion. Letting his tongue wag out as he did the act.

Interested in what she'd just seen but not sure what to make of it. Annie knew it was the motion which meant death but as far as why her boyfriend had just done it to himself, this she couldn't fathom. Speaking slowly in hesitance because her guess felt wrong, the former Specialized Agent asked, "do you want me to kill you now?"

Putting his tongue back in his mouth, Terry stared at her in dumbfounded shock about her question before he recovered enough to clear up his body language. "This town is dead as far as us getting our own agents is concerned. Dead town, not dead me." He exclaimed before turning away from her to slide down the wall into a crouched position.

"You mean to say help. Not agents Terry, we're not with MAD anymore," Louis pointed out.

Wanting to clear up the matter to both men, Annie added in, "gang."

Further scooting down to have the ground fully meet him, the former Elite Agent commented. "A better version of MAD."

After shaking his head no, Louis replied. "It's just one heist. It's nothing big."

A gang, Annie liked that idea. She prior to joining MAD had served in a gang. It had worked for her because she had excelled at it. More then even her male companions in it who had dominated it. She had taken risks most had refused and got away with jobs failed by even members who considered themselves more streetwise than her. In the end of that gang when it's members were either in jail, dead, or had vanished in abandoning the group. The last being something she had only allowed them to do in pity sometimes because from her, disappearing off the map was hard to do. It's absence left a hole in her life she needed to have filled. The danger and challenges it had presented to her. The pleasure of the reward for a job well done. When she discovered about the existence of MAD, she had leapt at it and had given Doctor Claw little choice about not accepting her into his organization's ranks.

"A gang always need a name, gentlemen. Maybe if with that gang and success of our mission?" She replied, letting loose her eagerness about the prospect. At the same time mentally invented grand ideas of what could happen further with that gang. Additionally thinking over if she knew of routes which could be employed if needed for those grand ideas to actually happen.

Mind elsewhere from thinking about what the lady that labeled herself an amazon had said, Louis voiced different thoughts about their goal. "You unleash your cats at a public forum. Whoever doesn't run or gets eaten, would be good help."

Terry too had bypassed the comment from her and let aloud his own continued thoughts on what they faced. "I wonder how far Bismarck or Metro City is from here?"

The former Specialized Agent winced as if in pain about their attention spans. Yes, both had been speaking to topic but still. Leader? Could she considered that in this small group? Not wanting to pull status on them because it felt a tad irrelevant minus MAD's presence in their lives. She just said, "I'd be more inclined towards Bismarck, less presence of the Prozac guys there."

That road trip while knowing it lead to a cause worthwhile, Louis knew carried a complication that was rarely faced by others. In fact not faced by anyone outside possibly zoo keepers who didn't know how to do their jobs properly. Maybe also very stupid poachers that wanted to win themselves Darwin Awards. Starting to bring up his thoughts, the former grunt said. "We use your car Annie, not ours."

It not occurring to her why Louis had said the statement, Annie asked, "why is that?"

Biting his tongue for a moment, the short cropped black haired man, then answered. "You have two large wild cats and we came here in a sedan. Your car has to be bigger and I don't think three people stuffed in a small vehicle with a jaguar and panther is a good idea."

"Point taken," Annie responded before turning to the wall to do stretching exercises against it. She was used to their presence. They didn't threaten her. They had never threatened the majority of the MAD Agents she had worked with over time. But the cats mere presence unnerving even those used to their sight? That was not unknown to her and watching Terry slowly overcome that with them had been mildly amusing to watch.

Getting back into standing up, Terry told them both. "I'll go back to that copy shop we passed awhile ago and get some fliers made."

As the lanky cyborg walked away from them, Annie in confusion and shock looked to his best friend in hopes of clarification to the former Elite Agent's statement to his actions in motion. Understanding that she oddly might be in the dark, Louis answered her non-vocal question. "We discovered about MAD's existence through recruitment booklets given at our high school." Turning to look at Terry disappear into the distance that not to long ago they'd all been wandering through together, he then added. "Likely that is what he's thinking about, but I'm not sure how effective that idea might be today. I've never heeded the content shown in fliers in the same way I've done it with booklets. Formatting you know?"

From a small burst of a chuckle to full on laughter, Annie then said she liked his of test with her cats as a better sounding idea. That thought as far as the jungle cats were concerned, gained nonplussed reactions. Spencer had his own ideas that had nothing to do with his master's wishes or those she was in company with. He had seen something on four legs near by, something vulnerable and fearful. Prey, and he was determined to make a meal of it. Dala had noticed the talking taking place but didn't care. She couldn't be bothered with what was said. Her name had not been said. No request had been made telling her to pursue, maul & maim, or kill someone. Spencer's rodent interest didn't feel mutual. Her master had fed both her and her spotted companion well in the place of many aromas and people. The spotted brute could eat his fill for all she cared. If her master was being true to her words. If fun was to be had later, she had better rest up for it and let the fatter one lag behind. While she got to sink her teeth into prey that were targets which couldn't scamper away into holes with less size then her paws.

  
Chapter 5:

  
\- Analog and Digital -

"Huh, so you're the guy HAPPY thought at first was me." The inspector said eyeing up and down the man sitting in a chair a short distance from him. The former agent for JOY slash current employee to the Oakland security firm LockTech, did the same but attempted to be more discreet about it to than the man circling him.

"I don't see a resemblance at all." John said after a moment more, before withdrawing from Jake, to stand by Alan's side.

Shifting his positioning lightly in the chair he was in. The one he'd been ordered to by HAPPY's own local security, for not knowing what to do with him. Jake then smiled and responded with, "as odd as it sounds I don't think natural characteristics played a roll in that confusion when your co-workers called me Inspector Gadget. I thought it sounded mildly fitting if however very incorrect. I've never been an inspector at least not for law enforcement."

A second long international flight and layover in New York, then a flight to the city of Cheyenne. Then a third flight, he felt grateful much shorter, to city of Sacramento. Now on land, a forced matter of the Sacramento landing because Oakland's airport was inaccessible to all incoming aircraft for the time being because of the earthquake which had recently struck the area. A drive to San Francisco, to then further escorting be it on foot to an entrance down into the city's underground hub placement for HAPPY. One which all concerned had deemed still stable. Passed through, and then even further guidance since neither inspector or tech was familiar with the underside to the San Francisco hub, how to find the security check office the unknown, who said his name was Jake Anatech, was in. Plus also told in an adjacent room what was said to constitute his pet, whatever that meant. Alan having felt, and he was sure had to feel mutual to John, the grueling event coming to a form of conclusion he hoped. He felt none the less also was intrigued by the stranger. Stated fact and concerned fear at the same time to the man of brown eyes & brown jacket, watching him. The engineer said, "I didn't have a hand in making you a cyborg so who did it? MAD?"

Attention jolted now with adrenaline to higher than it had already been. John looking back and forth between his common work partner, and the helpful if yet mysterious intruder, quickly replying. "Wait you're, wait you can't be the result of HAPPY. Has MAD started it's Elite program back up again!?"

Confused himself and finding his curiosity deepening about the circumstance he'd put himself in, a cyborg before him whom he knew nothing about outside name and he worked for HAPPY's law enforcement side. With note MAD, an organization he very rarely dealt with, brought up. It's mention understandably making the inspector on edge. Something further said he felt fully in the dark about added in. Beginning to try and get answers for himself. This being a touch novel because he had been placed in the security check office since HAPPY had questions about him. Jake commented, "boy are you guys jumpy. I have nothing to do with MAD and second, Elite program? What the hell is that? I've never heard of it before."

Being given a puzzle which should have been self explanatory, a person who apparently was a cyborg like his friend. But at the same time not like the ones recently encountered at the Cybathlon Meet & training, that had less advanced robotics joined into their bodies. They while like John Heyward were cyborgs but could not be mistaken for him. This man being one, having been mistaken for the inspector, added given his augmentations weren't put into his body by MAD. Racking his brain for an answer on what he knew of the practice of bio-technology science. No answers coming from that. Alan tried to speak on the dilemma to what facts he knew. "MAD is the only organization outside HAPPY which ... ok, now I'm going to say wait."

Turning to John, mulling over an answer however one he wished he could back up with more information, Alan continued. "We just got here from the Cybathlon Meet. John that alone is proof it's not just bad guys who are cyborgs. Good people can be too if however less complex in tech."

Putting aside the fact it felt rude to do so, John then asked Jake. "Forgive the personal question if it bothers you. An arm? A leg? Why HAPPY's staff thought you were me."

Starting to get up from the chair he'd been sitting in, to then be forced with one of John's hands cupping the man's shoulder to force him back down, Jake replied. "This I find mildly sad ... I'm not even sure where to begin explaining myself to you guys. But listen I'll start with two details on myself. Ok, one isn't myself exactly but I used to work for them. JOY made me a cyborg, got that part?"

The name didn't ring a bell at all to John, although it's existence a new fact to him, was one he would not dismiss. His employer HAPPY, he'd never heard of them until over a year ago. The same he shamefully admitted to knowing of MAD. They too had been news to him, but news he'd caught wind of earlier than starting his time with HAPPY if Chief Quimby was to be believed. Suspects of a high profile robbery, the man that at the time John had thought only held the rank of sergeant, had growled under his breath he thought he'd heard were MAD Agents. John had been present at the time of the grumbling and had dismissed it apparently, a fact Charles Quimby much later had chided him for. RAGE was yet another name he'd never heard of until a few months ago. Further more there was another he had been told of but had not personally encountered which came in still another acronym, UNEASY. Bearing these thoughts in mind, the inspector then asked. "Never heard of I assume some company? Organization?"

"I'm drawing a blank on the name outside of emotion myself too. But yes, I'll take it whoever they are, they did what they did to you." Alan admitted, mentally wishing the puzzle of this man was a jigsaw one. That with an answer more from him would bring out an image of the fully completed picture, one he'd understand.

Worthy of shuttering at the lack of knowledge or find it amusing, Jake wasn't sure which he should emotionally latch on to, perhaps both. His body language he kept silent to the first. Inwardly he went through it though. These people currently working for the government he felt should know what he had brought up. Then again his long time friend, Heather still had a government position and to his knowledge hadn't vested much in learning what she could of HAPPY. HAPPY didn't have a place in their lives and aside from both of them having a casual interest in knowing basically who they were. Heather, she had told him had been forced to do some digging up on the organization not for her job or one of their many extra jobs, but for her ever curious nephew. Letting a grin twinge at one corner of his mouth, Jake replied. "Considering you work for a multinational organization, the United States government being part of that, wow I feel you guys have missed out. Half my childhood essentially."

"Explain," John requested. The nature of his work, what his instincts drove him to do. The inspector wanted to know everything he could about the new or stated in better context, old organization the man was talking about. Half his childhood? To whatever JOY was, it had to date back far. Jake showed a little more sliver in his hair than the few strands John had discovered in his own. Jake had been with JOY back when? The 1980's? Maybe the 1990's? Further more to that case of they had made the man into a cyborg, how had that happened? Was someone from HAPPY moonlighting for JOY? Surely MAD had no involvement with them, or Jake would have known what the Elite program was, unless the MAD Agent working for JOY had failed to put that in their resume. MAD Agent: semi-good at the field of being a bio-technician. Once killed many other MAD Agents, had one success who went insane, had another success who is very violent.

Sighing, Jake again tried to get up from his chair again, only to yet again have John force him back down into it. Annoyed, the former JOY Agent said. "Detail two, my machine side is a bit more complex than average bionics. I have technology in me which to my knowledge only I have. Even technology not given by JOY thanks to the fact I've learned how to modify myself."

The seated man talking of the field of Bio-Technology, that was a science John had never felt comfortable thinking about, talking about, or even learning about. To who knew of it well, who could speak of it at great length, the only person present that knew anything about it. At least the one person he trusted. The invader helper could have been lying about pretty much everything he said as far as Jonathan was concerned. Questioning without turning to that trusted bearer of knowledge, John said, "Alan?"

"I don't want to pry but at the same time I can't help but be intrigued by what you're saying." The engineer replied, as he too looked on at man that by the moment seemed to be getting more antsy about leaving where he was. The feeling of antsiness, being something the younger man could relate to then. It got Alan going into his habit of starting to fidget with a low edge of the vest he was wearing.

An eye roll was all Jake could think to do in response to the man, shorter than the inspector by maybe half a foot. The act coming across as unwelcome to John, who thought the intruder should be acting as compliant as possible with both him and his co-worker. John then felt the need to ask Jake. "You don't plan to make any trouble for HAPPY right?"

Unbelievable but understandable were the first thoughts to ring through the older cyborg's mind about that question. Him cause trouble? Not for the likes of them or many others. Grabbing out his cellphone for what time, he was beginning to lose count, Jake checked the bars on it's screen to see if he finally had a signal on it. No luck again, he then answered. "If you recall from report I was trying to help."

A non-human answer was the first to greet all present after his comment. A yelping whining sound from near by that in the whining part didn't sound quite right. The two HAPPY Agents present looked off into the direction of the room joining where they were. Both men looked perplexed Jake noted about what they'd heard. Him explaining G9's sometimes electronic vocalizations that sounded not dog-like but borderline kazoo sounding, was something he didn't feel he needed to do. Let the men wonder about it. Neither had seen the robotic dog yet, and he wasn't sure how these HAPPY Agents would react to it.

Turning away from where the odd sounding had come from, Alan then stated. "Part of that report we got says you wanted things which really aren't meant for non-staff to be handling."

"Damaged and disregarded. I take something if I feel I can use it and no one wants it." Jake replied, in attempting to relay in brief the skin of a hobby he'd taken to over time.

The inspector glared now at Jake. The man sitting before him, he felt was now justified in his placement. A room that on occasion held disreputable people whom HAPPY needed to politely do away with. This taking the form of either being escorted out from the organization's local underground HQ. Or if the person was the sort who really rattled them in what they had done to deserve the placement in that room. To that case they'd be escorted to one of their jail cells.

"You're a thief?" John questioned Jake, unwavering in his look of disapproval towards him.

Knowing how the inspector sometimes jumped the gun on what he believed for fact. Alan, sure that the man had misinterpreted the supposed JOY Agent's actions. The tech then said, "you like to get a hold of trash."

Shrugging about the accusation laid on him, Jake replied. "Things can be repurposed if handled right. As I told the others you work with, hobby."

While equally as curious about Anatech as Alan, all John could do was stare at the man in being still unsure what to make of him. He however was not the only reason the inspector had been told to come back to the United States. A different matter, one more important was pressing. The apprehended cyborg if he was one, could be dealt with at a later time. After taking a deep breath, John said. "We have other matters to deal with. I'll tell HAPPY to let you go but keep an eye on you. If you try for anything other than disregarded junk you're going to be in handcuffs."

Now the former JOY Agent was giving his own stare at the HAPPY Agent who'd just spoken to him. Utter disbelief, he'd been held in the room he was in too long in his opinion. At least the staff had been so kind as to allow him small snacks, bathroom breaks, and meetings with his dog to assure the robot animal they'd be gone soon once things were cleared up. He'd now been in the room how many hours? Checking his watch, he discovered he'd been in the place five hours since he'd last checked. It was noon now and the HAPPY Agents who had placed him in there, that had happened before the unseen sunrise had come of the day. The clearing up of his presence, he knew had to happen when the man he'd been initially mistaken for, came to talk with him to evaluate him. For the man to discover if HAPPY should be concerned about his presence.

Without a word further the inspector walked away from him and out of the room, followed after a moment's pause from his company who seemed unsure about leaving the stranger to them be were they'd found him. When both HAPPY Agents were well beyond the security check office, this being mainly due to John striding in his walk. Something that forced Alan to move quickly to keep up with. The tech commented to him. "My curiosity is peeked about that guy. You just want to walk away from a person like that? I have more questions on my mind now than before we met him."

Stopping in his tracks to Alan's relief, John replied. "As you said about prying. I admit I'm curious about the man too, but right now there are for a fact more important things which need tending to, and besides if he does have complex machinery in him, prying might be a bad idea. You know why I wear a trench coat normally and hat. What if he's sensitive about his condition because of others pointing and staring at him?"

"He didn't exactly seem shy, John." Alan noted to his co-worker before continuing with, "do you think he's lying? I mean neither of us has heard the name JOY before. Secret MAD Agent?"

Starting to scratch his head but seeming to catch himself in the near instinctive act and stopping himself. Then scrunching up his face a little, in distress mixed with anger beginning to build. John let loose in gaining volume to his voice about what he now felt he was being confronted with. "Now you've done it. Now I feel this Anatech guy can't be let out of our sights until we get down to the bottom of knowing who he is. There is no way I'm letting a MAD Agent get away when they could be up to something and the Elite ones are worse then the normal ones!"

\-----

After a well felt deserved stretch upon getting up from the chair he'd been forced to sit in for a time. This event having been longer than just the simple if yet irritating conversation he'd had with supposedly a cyborg similar to himself. Jake proceeded to pace about the room for a short time before his attention got jerked in the direction of someone who needed his presence. At hearing the rough sound of G9's metal claws scraping against the door to the room he was confined to. The security systems analyst knelt down and then leaning against the door to the room that's other side had the trapped robotic dog, told him. "I know these are the good guys G9. They're just being dumb right now and you shouldn't have to suffer for that. I'll get you out of there, hold on."

Removing his jacket and rolling up his left shirt sleeve, to expose the embedded control interface for most of his bodily incorporated machinery. Once placing the hand to that arm, palm flattened out to cover the lock of the door as complete as possible. Jake pressing an ear against the door then started with great care selecting the buttons on the interface just above his memory intake scanner's panel door. As he pressed the minute in size buttons that to the untrained eye looked like a string of moles slightly different in skin color from the rest of his natural body. The door's lock, he could hear it shifting to his will.

More specifically what the electromagnet in the hand pressed to the lock, was now commanding with variances waves of it's effectiveness and how they were moving. Figuring out and developing the skill had come by necessity. Normal daily life had not prompted learning how to do the act. Dealing with RAGE had prompted figuring out how to do it. Them locking him up and on occasion him with added company. Unlocking doors this way in skill learning had drastically improved once with help his electromagnets got altered to be more adapting with the added ability to program them instead of simply turning them on. An alteration done to him years back he forever felt grateful for. From having his electromagnets being switched on and acting on default ultra effectiveness to not having that necessarily happen on start command. If the former JOY Agent recalled correctly, he'd kissed his palms once the alteration had been made, and he had also tried his best to kiss this bare feet. That act had been forced to stop with his feet after first attempted reach when his friends present noticed what he was trying to do.

Opening the door to the room Jake was in, John and Alan saw the result of what Jake had presently been trying to do with success of yielding result. His hand still pressed against the lock to the door he was beside, minus seeming to grip in by a means visible to them. He opened the door to let his metallic man's best friend out from where he'd been. As the man sat with dog by his side, he started cooing to the boxer mix facsimile. "Good dog, you did ok. I -."

Looking into the room that had contained his dog, Jake checked for signs his K9 pal had done things HAPPY would not be pleased with. Fortunately nothing looked damaged or chewed upon. He was relieved, the two HAPPY Agents standing near by were in shock. Without taking notice of them, Jake finished saying his compliments to his four-legged companion. "You did very well. Nothing destroyed, that has to be a point for you with these people."

"Your pet?" The inspector's question drew Jake's attention away from G9 to the man.

Smirk given on a whim about the sudden observation of the robotic animal, Jake replied, "custom made."

Not turning away from the sight of the man and dog, but fixed to the sight of the dog. The tech shook his head and commented. "I admit that is awesome."

Having seen at great extent what Alan along with the rest of this dubbed Launched Bug engineering team for HAPPY had produced in the past with a few projects in development. Now it was John's turn now to shake his head, only his attention was fixed on his partner when doing it and not the robot animal. Returning his attention for a moment to the robotic dog, some how enjoying a petting although how that could happen minus flesh, the inspector had to wonder. John asked, "made by someones or one working for MAD?"

Ending his petting session to G9, the act before only a mystery to those who didn't know the pair well enough to figure out the construct had micro sized sensors covering it that relayed touch feedback to the computer brain of the synthetic animal. Feeling miffed about a cleared up mystery he had already answered on, Jake replied. "Made by JOY by the the efforts mainly of an old friend. You seem a little hung up on the idea I'm not being totally truthful with you inspector. Just Google JOY ok? The organization was far from being secret when it was around."

"So this establishment who made you a cyborg, they're gone?" Alan asked, his curiosity peaked not just to hear the former JOY Agent explain them, but also his company.

Shutting the door, G9 was now clear of for getting caught in, Jake answered. "For many years."

Extending an arm beyond it's normal reach to the ground, John picked up Jake's jacket to hand it to him. Now it was Jake's turn to feel he had been caught off guard. Letting them know the inspector's robotically augmented arm surprised him? With how the man had sending out what those associated with RAGE and those who enjoyed, he noticed a hippy mentality outlook on life, negative vibes. Letting the surprise not show his face from to the man, was something Jake felt inclined to do. Although he admitted to himself, actually seeing the inspector show himself to be a cyborg rather than just hear of the fact. He now wanted answers and after he'd gotten his jacket back, before Jake could think to say anything to start that route of conversation. John said, "I'm going to get you and your um, dog out of here. I hope you have no plans anytime soon, because until I believe what you've said, you're sticking with us."

Catching Jake by surprise again for a different reason, this shock not hidden from his face. He asked, "why is that?"

Wagging a finger at the older cyborg, John explained. "I will look into this group you're calling JOY but in the mean time, I can't shake a suspicion about you that warrants observation of your behavior."

What it took to become employed by HAPPY, Jake started to wonder about this. A winning personality, no. Being able to do one's job competently, maybe a no. The man upset at him was by profession a law inspector, it was his job to deal with uncovering and dealing with criminals. He was no criminal and yet this man despite knowing of the good intentions he'd came to HAPPY with, wanted to treat him as a suspect ... to what exactly? Is this how one was supposed to be treated if is was discovered they were a cyborg? God or gods & goddesses, to others he knew. For the longest time he'd thought he'd held a unique position in the world. It's most unorthodox complex cyborg in existence. This man, this Inspector Gadget, who he'd just noticed actually had a robotic side. New to Jake's knowledge the man likely being the only other cyborg like himself unless that earlier comment about the Elite program meant something. Jake concluded the inspector was acting dumb about him, and hopefully far from represented HAPPY's common employment base.

"Oh, sure since you seem like such a pleasant example of one of HAPPY's staff, I'd be glad to hang around you two. Humf, fear my machine side is highly weaponized?" Jake queried John giving him a sarcastic look that could also be heard in the toning of his voice.

John showing to his expression he meant no nonsense, told in response. "Something like that."

Motioning as he spoke, never losing the air of sarcasm he'd decided to take on, Jake said to John, "Ah, well then I'm going to say yes to this. But you know once I can access having a useful phone again and you get the chance to hear from people who know me. I can't wait to see you blush in surprise at what an awful person I am."

Once the former JOY Agent had put on his jacket, the inspector for HAPPY grabbed him by an arm, showing full intent to lead him where he wanted him to go. Strong very, strong Jake had missed this while John Heyward had been trying to keep Jake sitting in the chair he'd found him in when first entering the room. This show of strength, yes he could try and resist it but where would that get him? On the bad side further with people he didn't feel he should make enemies with. Nah, he really would go along with this, but first.

Patting his pant leg, Jake called to G9. "Come on old dog. Time to hang around with a confirmed HAPPY Agent jerk and his friend."

\- Tookany Creek Park -

At first the sound of the small breaking branches was met with mild confusion that felt like it could be easily ignored by the MAD Agents in Tookany Creek Park. When the sound started anew from a different direction still coming from above them, that is when it took on importance in noticing the cause of the sound. The sounds were coming from the less than mentally coherent plague birds they were supposed to by guiding.

North Stacina heard no sound as the genetically altered crow smacked it's self in the van he and his fellows were using for not only transporting themselves, but also their equipment. An easy bet he would have heard the bang against the metal of the roof if he had been inside the vehicle when the bird committed likely accidental suicide. He could hear more of the flock's disheveled flight elsewhere but he couldn't quite pin where he was hearing it from. He hoped not from still within the park.

So immersed in the thought of figuring out from where he was hearing the sounds of other treetops being bombarded by MAD's little death bringers. His cellphone set to ring and vibrate, made him jump nearly out of his skin. In fact at least one thing nearly suffered other then just his professional pride but that would have bit the dust if it had fallen, the worst fate. He nearly dropped the specially constructed controller he'd been holding. After he fumbled with it, he felt lucky a second set of hands joined in near his to catch it, to keep it from the ground. One of the three grunts assigned to him for the mission he was on. Gail, who'd just helped him out was not one of the common grunts he liked to have working with him. Neither were Kade and Rita, for that matter.

Doctor Claw had picked them out for him. Why was concerning as the chief-boss had never explained it to him in full. All Doctor Claw had shared with him was if he failed one of them had orders to carry out that he, North had no control over. This idea of failure, the Specialized Agent could only guess at. He felt grateful to have discovered failure wasn't a simple thing. That being when the Virginian town he'd been told they should deal with first, didn't have it's ultimate goal met by MAD's presence. But still if he damaged the controller? Or in the end MAD didn't have it's ransom met?

The three made him nervous just based on not knowing which of them was poised to carry out Doctor Claw's order. The controller held firmly in Gail's hands, and the man smiling at him to assure him all was good. Not for the first time North tried to push away the suspicion he felt towards the man who shared same ranking as other companions. Answering the cell would take his mind off this he hoped.

"Hello?" North questioned just after he had pressed the talk button. All sounding of his nervousness, tucked away to being hard to notice unless by anyone that knew him well.

It was MacBorneo's voice that replied. North while having a respect for the man, didn't fear him in the same sense he'd fear the chief-boss. Willard wanted updates about the progress Stacina was making. The man seemed more curious in results of a different nature than that of the top dog's interest. The man was a freaking sadist, the atmospheric disruption expert figured. Fitting for a MAD Agent but too sick for even his taste. The cytology expert of course had called him for an update, a question asked in only one word.

"In Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, as we speak. I started working with them more one on one about thirty-five minutes ago." North replied, knowing there had to be more coming from the bio-engineer, there always was.

No disappoint meant, Willard then asked what the group was doing in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania when the goal was to infect Philadelphia. The Specialized Agent, motioning to Gail irritated by the man not present, on his geography ignorance, then said. "Cheltenham is a suburb of Philly. We did the same thing with Staunton, we setup near by as to not get caught up in this sickness of yours ourselves."

Snapping & insults were Willard's next responses to North until realizing the sickness the atmospheric disruption expert had meant was the plague birds, and not him. That's when they got an interruption by one of the birds. North didn't see how it had happened exactly, what part of the animal's body struck first. He only knew the poor feathered beast at cannonball force had hit a stream off shoot of the creek for which the park he was in, drew it's name from. Willard picking up on the sudden splash sound he'd heard over the phone, questioned it.

"We just provided water contamination, Mr. MacBorneo." North told him, figuring it would please him to know more work was being done he wasn't already aware of, helping their overall mission.

Rather than accepting the bare bones answer at face value, the MAD Agent not present persisted for clarification. The quiet words coming to North as grateful to his peace of mind, Rita mouthed to him that the fallen bird was still alive. The cytology expert learning the animals he'd helped to create were that more dumb than originally thought? North didn't feel like breaking that sort of news to him. Lying about the little dimwits was better for the pride's sake.

"Ever visit a place named Apple Bottom?" North started, with already a plan in mind about where he was going in his lie.

Receiving a question with request for clarification. The name wasn't of some cutely named orchard? Otherwise and Willard hoped it not so because lack of the name making sense how North had said it. It somehow meant the underside of a real piece of fruit.

Grateful the other Specialized Agent didn't know what it was and even some fact checking wouldn't be all that harmful to his lie, North relayed. "It's a nuclear plant down south from here that does other work which isn't quite public. My team, we got a hold of some of that other work."

Yet, more questions then came from the MAD Agent not present after guessing about what sort of work the Apple Bottom plant had been doing. North had correctly given him the idea the Maryland power plant was making hazardous toxic material meant for wartime use. What he'd failed to think of in advance is if the man asked him who was working at Apple Bottom on such a project or projects. Willard, North had forgotten had once for real traveled in scientific social circles which did such things. The sicko wanted to know who at the plant had aided North's team, so he could try and tear into them.

"I don't remember. We tried to get in and out of the place fast. Not in the mission plan you know and shit, forbid we get caught doing extra stuff." North stated hoping finally Willard would end asking him about the fiction he had started inventing on the fly.

The man who still thought of himself as a Dane, got relief when it did end on that note for the Scot asking about the now uncomfortable fib of a story. Now Willard wanted to know if he and his team had checked to make sure their broadcasting equipment was working. Step three of MAD's plan of mission to this. If one counted public knowledge starting to build about what they were being faced with. The broadcasting equipment was in their van ready for use. It's job to override non-cable digital television with the programmed blue screen of death added further more with MAD's logo and an audio of a message. That, North had to deliver to the local population.

He'd not had the chance to put it to use back in Virginia but that was the last place he had checked on it. When they'd made it to their destination and were getting ready to start working more closely with the birds in directing their flight path with use of the remote. Taking in a gulp of air, North replied, "we checked on it back in VA. It should be still good."

Before hanging up on the atmospheric disruption expert, Willard snapped at him to make sure it was still in good working order, ending his talk with yelling the word potholes. The cell phone's screen proclaiming 'call ended 10:06', how long they had talked. North breathed a long sigh of relief and in dawning on him how long his team had been in the park. How fast they'd gotten to work. How fast the plague birds had started moving in towards the city, beyond them. How the team had somehow failed in Staunton. That event having taken three hours. Had they moved too slow there or was what had happened with the quick quarantining of the town been a strange fluke of luck for the wrong side? Could making the broadcast now be premature?

The MAD Agent doubted such a risk existed. After all the birds were now well inside the city. Viewing the sky he didn't see anymore beyond the canopy of trees he was under. The animals unless he prompted it, weren't going any where any time soon. Surely they were busy spreading their filth well at this point? He could wait no more. North had to do what he'd not done fast enough the last time he'd been assigned place to setup shop so to speak.

Whistling for the grunts in his company to follow him, this emphasized further with hand motions. North got them to follow him into the van. Kade asked what he felt was a shared yin & yang type query among the grunts as to their supervisor's actions. "We've either failed again or it's time?"

"Setup the equipment, I want to send the message now." North replied, tiffed about what he'd just been asked, letting his expression relay that to the laborer under him.

Without saying another word, Kade worked the equipment meant to send out the overriding broadcast. No prompting given, Rita handed him the microphone and mouthed the message to him of 'on'. Repositioning himself ever so slightly, North making sure his intake of breath wasn't audible, then spoke with angered force into the microphone. "Hey Philly home of the Pirates or I should say fake Pirates! The real deal has just come to your city! Our little feathered buddies have come to ring your liberty bell fuckers! Take it and think on it! We have demands coming that you better listen for!"

\- Fur, Fangs and Felons -

Seeing a pack of people looking less than likeable in appearance make their way through the high rise office building turnstile, Annie grinned. She could soon see the men had made some success in their venture around the streets of Bismarck. Terry coming in first after the supposed riffraff, followed by Louis making sure everyone made it in. Not as many as she'd hoped they'd find but she had to remember. They the beggars couldn't be choosers. After all they didn't have MAD's resources anymore.

Striding towards the door the grouping of wanna be formal thugs had just come in through and making her way pass Terry, she told Louis. "Get this door locked now. I want no escaping."

Whether all of the miscreants heard the orders she'd given to one of the men who had helped to round them up, wasn't clear. Some turned to stare at flamboyantly dressed woman, and man whom they had met not that long ago. He was locking the door to her request. Others not paying attention to the pair near the door were either glancing at the other that had helped select them. Or were swiveling their heads around to take in what they could right there from the lobby, what they could of the building.

Terry guessed those people had never been in the place before. All the better he guessed. That meant a better test if they weren't familiar with the place they were in. Others present, those that belonged in the building. All of them seemed to be having the exact same reaction towards seeing the found possible new gang members, fear. They were trying their best to hide but at the same time it was clear they were curious about what was taking place. He sure felt some of that curiosity himself. He knew why they were here, at least everyone he knew personally. His friend had given a good suggestion back in Cavalier. Let Annie's cats be the test. The survivors being the winners.

Although he knew it had to be more complex than that. His girl had insisted she have the time to really do some prep work before their test started on the thugs. What could that have been? Had she given a pep talk to Dala and Spencer? Knowing she's notice his eyes on her, Terry gave Annie the silent question that was to ask what was next.

Catching it, she moved into almost the center of the lobby and shouted towards the group of people that had just been ushered into the building. "Ladies and gentlemen! The future of our gang we hope! I have two large pets roaming this building and for the first time in a while they have some fellow wild company! I do mean wild people, I got these guys out from your local zoo, very nasty bunch!"

Now everyone had their attention on her, which is exactly what she wanted. Noting this she continued, "the goal is get what valuables you can without getting eaten because they will attack! If you show compassion towards the people who work here, you are out! If you die from my pets or the extras I've brought in then clearly you are no good!"

Stopping her speech again, she moved to Terry and Louis to hand them both small vials. Uncapping his to smell it, Terry made a disgusted look about the contents he'd caught a whiff of. Much to his displeasure, Annie silently told him in motioning, to dab it on to himself. When the former Elite MAD Agent shook his head no in protest, she took charge of making sure the action was taken and applied the contents of the vial to him, to then afterwards, turning away from him, she concluded her speech. "Likely someone here has called the cops already! I give you all ten minutes to do this work! All still with us at the end of that will be in our gang! Go!"

With the exception of a few of them, all the potential gang members did as ordered. Although one in shock & disbelief, one of the stragglers asked, "is she serious?"

Cracking his knuckles before answering, Louis said. "Do you want out?"

The native to the city, realizing this was happening. That yes, he was being given the opportunity to join into their group criminal effort. Also yes, he was being asked to rob as much as he could from an office building loaded with wild predatory animals. This order given as a test to his worthiness to a role position. Further yes, if he didn't do as such he'd likely get the snot beaten out of him by the more muscular of the two men who'd found him. Answering in motion and voice, he replied to Louis, "no."

Pointing towards a wall with four elevators implanted in them, Louis told the riffraff who had questioned him. "Then get out there."

Not liking how the goon, Louis mentally corrected himself, grunt. How the grunt jogged towards the first of the elevators, he now shook his head no. Lifting up to really look at it, the vial Annie had handed him. He wondered about it before glancing at Terry, grimacing as he gave himself dainty pats of it all over his body. Wondering now what was so awful about it to make his friend act in such a way, he uncapped it to try and get an answer.

A facepalm was all the former Specialized Agent could think to do before confronting the former grunt about the vial's contents. Keeping her voice low as to make sure the potential help could not over hear her or the people who worked in the building they had overtaken. Annie stated to him, "it is a form of repellent. It should keep the animals I have not trained from attacking you or Terry. Keep them wanting to stay a distance from you."

"What is in it?" Louis queried as he dabbed an amount of it on to a couple of his fingers.

"You don't want to know." Was all the lady of Peruvian ancestry could think he'd want to hear her say.

\-----

Artificial parchment paper glowing against black contrasting words in medium sized font on screen to it's near cream hue. Information about the office work test in it's overall effectiveness being relayed as follows:

. Location- Sign said outside this place is 'The Flickertail Consulting Firm'.

. Casualties- One dead, think the name was Rose Dalton.

. Injuries- Thug named Curtis Noonan discovered by Terry, given deep in the flesh and likely bone mauling to left leg by tiger. Disqualified? Yes. Thug named Moses Bernstein discovered by me, bitten in the right thigh. Disqualified? No, due to him turning towards his assailant and shooting the fossa with a gun.

. Cowards- The man who's name is not worth mentioning in this file that questioned me at the start of the test. Noticed disabling the lock put on the emergency exit and leaving before capture and punishment. Also one more dumb dick that lied to try to pass the test. Lie brought to light by fellow named Jimmy Killeen ratting him out as having seen him duck into a closet to avoid what feels in need of eye rolling to a point, a panda bear. Leaving the closet well after the spotted bear had decided to leave him alone, and the call to come center in the lobby of the building, was yelled at by Annie.

. Total new gang members- Six. Gus Fratto, Salvatore Greene, Philip ( this guy can't be giving his real last name here ) Pyro-Gas-Boom, and Moses Bernstein. The ladies Opal Parker and Pearl Moran.

. Total procured loot- Four hundred in cash, eight credit cards, jewelry hoped not to be made of fake metals & stones, three smart phones, keys to one luxury car, and one tablet computer.

. Losses due to police arriving on scene- A single fatality. Think his name was Wyatt.

Looking over the statistics he'd just made a file of in his new tablet computer, Louis beamed a little. They'd had a good test but in the end had less people than they'd had at it's start. It's ending, when the cops had come. At the moment they weren't a full problem although that could easily change. Annie had gotten them off their backs with those she'd put to use making the whole thing interesting. She'd gotten the wild animals outside. But once the cops were done with them. He knew they had to get moving before that happened or more cops came.

Interested in seeing what he'd been paying attention to on the tablet, Annie took it out of his grasp to view it before handing it back. Building tension. It had been starting to rise ever since Terry had come back into their view after his excursion to the copy shop which had been met with no result of printing made. Who was the gang's leader. She snatching away the tablet from him. The latest act of aggression to this the alpha fight they'd made in silence with each other.

The fight unknown to the six new gang members, all they could do was await new orders as they stood in readiness and confusion about what was going to happen next. The red & blue lights flashing at a short distance from them outside making them antsy. The fight guessed at by the mutual pal to them both, Terry like the new gang members wasn't sure what to do. Although at least he knew while he wanted to be the last person to speak up, at least he could do something to break the silent quarrel. But best friend verses best girl? Distance was the best idea. Distance is what they knew they needed right now.

"We need to get these guys in the van. Come on Louis, I need your help. We have our pyramid gang now." Terry stated, as he motioned with one hand towards himself to get his buddy to come towards him, plus the six new thugs in their party. To where he was standing by the building's entrance.

"That is an awful name for a gang or any group trying to take on MAD." Louis replied, bemused by the first name suggestion presented so far by any of them.

As the former grunt made his way to the turnstile and others soon around it, Annie broke into the conversation eager to start adding her thoughts to the naming question. "Something which speaks of our goal but could be used further, later on. How about, The Deadly Embers?"

Turning back to face her for a moment, Louis told her, "deadly Embers? How does that sound threatening?"

Knowing she'd likely be questioned for this choice in name. The first one she had decided on in mental debate seemed fitting. Amazon Annie unleashed her reasoning aloud. "Embers are the leftover of a lager fire. They when prodded can create a new fire from the old. Still a force to be reckoned with."

Opal knew she had no rank, at least one that mattered for now. Now what mattered aside from them all leaving in time before the police could take action on her and her new colleagues in crime. She wanted one thing answered before hopping into their transportation. Tapping Louis as he came within her range of reach, she asked him once she knew she had his attention. "We're going to take on MAD? The biggest organized criminal group in the world."

Ignoring the novice thug for a second, Louis stated what was on his mind to Annie. "Sounds sissy. What about Crew Reeling On Scorn Superbly?" Then turning addressed lady near to his side, "do you have a problem with that?"

"No, but you and the machine dude didn't say they were the ones we'd all be stealing from at first. Do you think we have a real chance?" Opal sounded so unsure and Louis couldn't help but think to do this to her. Rhyme her name to what she was conveying. Opal was being hopeful as well. The man remembering what it took to break in the newbie grunts at MAD and also remembering he too once held the position. Answering her with a smile he assured her about the chances things would work out.

"You're alive. You survived the test. MAD is filled with vicious brutes too but they don't got claws and fangs. That help?"

At hearing the description given to MAD Agents in general, Terry tried to make a point by unsheathing five of his claws. Opal not knowing he could do such a thing, looked at him wide eyed before Louis pushed her towards the door. Louis knowing why Terry had done the demonstration, made his own point. "We aren't with them anymore dummy. Aside from animals, they really don't have any clawed agents."

Still not saying anything Terry raised an eyebrow to Louis's remark. It took the former grunt a few seconds for it to click in his head what it meant. Then he replied with, "Doctor Claw doesn't count in that comment and you know that!"

Shouting, Annie got Louis's attention back to her as he showed approval to Salvatore who had just shown him a bloodied knife not noticed earlier. "No one now name it too. It's a long way back to Nekoma, we'll discuss it on route."

They were both on the same side, Louis knew that, but he felt a challenge was a challenge. Ready to not let it go, he told her. "We'll talk about it now."

How MAD from within had devised it's ranking of employment status or more accurately had been taken carried on from Scolex Enterprises in that. It's Specialized Agents normally had to have two key characteristics outside devious intelligence. A skill which could be very useful to MAD's future or current endeavors and being able to handle guiding those working under them. Annie while not working for them anymore had been with them long enough to have their way of handling things ingrained into her mental habits. She turning Louis back to face the door, stated. "That is the direction my mini van is in. We well talk about it on route."

Complying with her requesting order, Louis started for the door but turning to the only one present who should have empathized with him. "Terry help me out here?"

Mouthing no and shaking his head to the same order, was all Terry could think to do in response. A puzzle to Louis, he then stressed his side. "What? What is wrong with you?! Her side or my side here on naming the gang?"

The former Elite Agent couldn't look at him or Annie in the eyes when he said. "I'm not answering that."

Annie acknowledging her boyfriend's sad predicament, smiled with the dawning realization. Louis having it now hit him what was going on, told his friend. "We'd better give the new guys a better idea what they might be facing. We'll figure out a name."

As almost everyone that currently should matter in his life was outside the building settling into the van at least for that moment. This made Spencer give a head bump to his lady master's side. Taking notice of the pet, she told him. "I know what they are up to, we'll just have to tolerate it if we're all going to be on the same team."

Dala after going to sit right before her, pawed one of the lady's feet and swiveled her feline head around to then look back at her with slitted eyes. In response to the pantheress, Annie said. "No, the other animals aren't coming. Only you and Spencer are important enough for that. They'll have prey here. You know this building is large and I see that blood around your mouth, don't think that black fur hides it. You got someone here and I'm sure they will too in the city."

Moving to sitting beside Dala, Spencer proceeded to stare at his master as well. Knowing he needed to her say more, Annie added. "The mini van will still be big enough for the both of you. Those new guys won't be a problem."

Done seeing the new to their gang, instituted thugs knew what they were to expect and had started discussing game plans, Terry rolled shut the mini-van's door on them. Louis near by motioning for him to stay by the van, an uneasy task considering the sounds coming from not far off of policeman he knew they had to scram from, were sounding in both their ears. He knew better than to try and lure the man back into the name debate with Annie present. They'd had their chat on it. That would have to be enough for now between them working on the dilemma.

Going back into the building to continue the debate with Annie one on one, and get her & the animal company she kept finally into the van. Louis asked her, "Terry and I did some discussing. How do these names sound. First one, Best Illegal Task Team of Equal Rational?"

Annie's reaction as he got within a few feet of her and her cats, was her replying with slowly shaking her head no. Feeling slighted but not letting it get to him much, Louis then said a suggestion he knew now was his third in total voiced. "Important Ruthless Action Terror Effort?"

Former work superior, crossing her arms in front of her. Giving a stink eye to the already started for the door, Louis. The former grunt gave his fourth suggestion. "What about Major Agency of Naturally Intense Citizens?"

At seeing signs outside something had gone wrong, noticing Terry's stance. With a hand on the nearest in reach door barrier to the turnstile, Annie finally commented to him. "Do you realize every name you've said. Everything you and Terry have concocted is an emotional variant on the word mad? Bitter, irate, manic, and your first suggestion alone came out as cross."

Letting a moment go by, Louis then added in his fifth suggestion to her. "We came up with one more. How about Ideal Negative Satisfy Absolute Necessary Envoies?"

In shock of how awful an idea that name was too, she didn't wait to say her single thought on it. "Insane, no way. Uh-uh, I'll come up with something to call us. No more suggestions unless you want to help feed Spencer and Dala."

Once she was outside it became clearer what was going on. More cops had come in and so had vehicles labeled they enforced animal control. Terry was in readiness to fire his canon and from a smoking area of ground not far from him. Annie knew he had already let loose with one warning shot. Jumpy slightly, he fired a shot just beyond his feet when she put a hand on his shoulder to notify him they were all ready to leave for their mission.

  
Chapter 6:

  
\- Pack Hierarchy -

Putting aside the thoughts Jake Anatech was a possible MAD Agent had been hard but it had been done. John felt saddened the harder task was trying to help the man do a task he could have done in a heartbeat. Make a phone call. Letting this man of suspect use one of theirs? He didn't feel inclined to let that happen. He had a phone built into him which could work virtually any where thanks to how it had been designed to sent and receive signals. Jake had an everyday smartphone one could buy from a mall kiosk from what John could gather about it. That appearance he knew had to be true to it's self, it wasn't modded. His work partner, Alan's phone had the same look as did his niece Penny's phone, but theirs were modified to work with HAPPY's system for calling. Jake wanted to prove his case and that had meant a wild goose chase they'd all just went through for discovering where to get signal bars to his phone, underground.

Not that far from the surface and how that had come to be was an easy guess. The spot the mystery man had found was near one of the entrances to the headquarters to the San Francisco hub for what they were all in of it, the part that daylight never shown on. True, it was still well beneath the dirt by the depth of a building level, for HAPPY's subterranean structuring, how far into the ground it could be in places. This was near surface level. How this sweet spot existed had been the result of the earthquake.

In HAPPY's construction for it's underground portions especially within a short distance from the world above it. All of it had been enforced by layers of concrete and metal beams to make sure cave ins could not occur. That fact prevented normal cellphones from working in the subterranean housings of the place.

This spot, the earth, the metal, the concrete, and John was sure many other materials. Likely water piping and electrical wiring to a short list for ideas on that. The spot allowed Jake's phone three bars for service. As the man placed a call to his friend to help further clear up who he was. It miffed the inspector how the other man now was feeling like a major waste of time to him. Whatever this person had to say about the man working for a local security service provider, it had better be good.

Being a little ticked off wasn't shared by Jake. He was grinning as he offered his cellphone to his escort. "Inspector Brown, I need you to listen to what my friend has to say."

"You know that's not my name. It's Heyward, Inspector Heyward. Why would you call me that and who is this friend of yours?" John exclaimed and questioned, baffled by his mistaken name or nickname. Plus also who could be so important that person could cause him to thoroughly make him not wonder about the former JOY Agent for what that title to his history was worth.

Alan took no notice of what was taking place. Him and one a member of one of the local engineering teams. Some woman named Marget. They seemed to be having a good discussion going on.

More near to the inspector, tapping his phone against one of John's hands, Jake replied. "You haven't really been listening to me, I feel you are messing with me. You wear a lot of brown in that getup of yours inspector. I think I have the right to mess with you. Also this person is my partner, she works for the US government, her name's Heather Tabin."

Government work could mean anything from being in position to having a say in the creation or dissolving of laws. To even being a postal carrier, leading John to ask. "What area of government work?"

"Secret Service," Jake answered.

Not a normal government job. Ok, not a job of anyone he knew. Or job held by an associate of an associate. He recognized the position but just not as common place. Heck, the Inspector knew he held a form of government job in a sense working for HAPPY. His job title beyond inspector of a 'super agent' of theirs was uncommon. Was the other cyborg pulling his leg about his friend? John had to ask, "let me guess. She knows the president and he knows you?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jake stated. "She has known a few presidents. I haven't met with any in a while, no one that's been in office as of late. LockTech and other matters keep me busy."

Those pieces of information his tech friend didn't know. The early work done on bio-technology, not just research with maybe some of it used outside hospital applications? Yes, he'd seen something he couldn't explain. Yes, the man had been mistaken for him. Did that mean the guy had one of his gadgets that was useful? Or useful and deadly if handled wrong. Certainly Zack or others who'd known of Anatech's presence would have mentioned it if he'd presented a threat outside his curiosity which had no place for an outsider to HAPPY.

"Let me guess she was also involved in this JOY organization too, right?" John queried, putting aside for a moment his curiosity about their guessed common link. What he'd just asked, moving in towards yet another factor about the man, the law enforcer felt a little skeptical about.

"We were partners in that too, yes." Jake said with some pride.

Furrowing his brow, the HAPPY Agent told former JOY Agent. "I'm having a hard time believing you."

He'd had enough. This shouldn't be and he just wanted to set the record straight. Snapping lightly, Jake told him. "This is one of the few places in HAPPY so far I've noticed my cell get any reception and this is the first time I've gotten her on the line. Just talk with her!"

Taking the cellphone from the visiting cyborg almost timidly, John then speaking into it's receiver said, "hello?"

Not to crowd the man who'd he's first been mistook for, Jake gave John a little distance for his chat. That is until the security systems analyst took notice of what the inspector was starting to do. He was beginning to absentmindedly move away from the hard to locate sweet spot his cellphone needed in this place. Rushing back to the tall man, Jake forced with his hands on John's mid-back, the inspector firmly back into the area known to have good phone reception.

Green eyes wondering what was going on, staring at Jake from beneath a ragtime styled hat. Jake tried to clear up his case to John minus words as to not interrupt whatever Heather was telling him over the phone. The best Jake could think to do for this, was point at the floor, tap his cell lightly, then point at the floor again.

After seeing the HAPPY Agent nod his head to the motion of yes, Jake hoped that John now knew for a firm fact he should stay in one spot while talking. The former JOY Agent moving away again, then reclaimed something, another more courteous in nature, different HAPPY Agent had given him. A disposable cup filled with an over sugared juice. Seated on an upturned earthen ledge not far from the sweet spot. He had placed it there before him and the inspector had moved upwards to the area with less the favorable footing offered on it's spoiled by damage land.

Once taking his first sip of it since before he'd placed it where he just removed it from. Jake now felt he had the time to ask the company that keep tagging along, why she was doing so. The girl, Jake strongly suspected was in her teens. She had been following him and the other two men everywhere. This going on ever since he'd first caught sight of her presence when she had gotten up from a chair in a room not far off from the security check office he'd been stuck in for a time. With her dog following her, a mutt? An Australian Shepherd custom mix? With what Jake couldn't begin to guess.

When he'd first caught sight of G9, at the same exact time the horrifying thought struck him the dog was dead. He'd been able to figure out what his breed mix was. A mild talent, being able to ID mixed breeds, it bothered him he wasn't more acute about it. By zippy memory he figured he might know more about dogs then most veterinarians.

"So what are you in for?" He asked her with a joking tone in how he asked the question.

Her at first non-verbal response to him was her saying moron. Although knowing the stranger was in the dark, then answered. "I'm John's niece, Penny. I help him out on a lot of cases."

Pressure from afar if Heather was actually with them, and not just on the phone with the inspector. He knew what she'd be asking the girl without any personal interest in mind. So a tuned to the life long friend's thoughts, Jake asked. "If you don't mind me asking. How old are you?"

The youth then backed away so far from him, she almost got out of range of his sight. Standing on the divide between the room he & their company was in, and an area meant to act as a lobby for figuring out which direction a person wanted to proceed further into HAPPY with. A place with it's walls lined with many doorways leading to either passages that held many flights of short stairs winding their way oddly into the earth or elevators dropping straight down to different levels. It was crowded with people mostly busy in panic because of the above & below destruction of late. If she wanted to, Penny could slip away into the human mess and leave them all be without her in an instant.

Organic dog mutt, Penny's companion. He'd seen his master's reaction to the unknown person whom had been the cause of them having to come to the San Francisco hub. Possible danger, he had to discover this. Not far away from the older cyborg, he venturing forth to size the man up, interruption happened. HAPPY's visiting helper, his robotic dog that in life was a mutt. G9 wanted to do his own investigating of another. Tail shooting to moving in between his legs, Brain let out a yelp at the robot animal dashing to meet him face to face.

"I asked that on behalf of a relative of that friend of mine your uncle is talking with on the phone. You might be close to the age of the guy and he wants to join HAPPY." Jake said in a loud voice due to distance, trying to clear up his words to Penny, as the dogs ran off. Brain in the lead, catching backwards glaces at his enthusiastic metal framed follower.

Servant slash protector unsure what to do and wishing for access to his favorite toy. That being a piece of technology a few hundred miles northwest in but more correctly stated underneath Metro City in HAPPY's local HQ there. The holographic android that was normally somewhere in or near by the main work area reserved for Team Launched Bug. That made him feel more powerful a fact he felt conflicted about.

He was dog. He had a powerful jaw with a full set of fangs in it and he had claws, his master rarely trimmed. He had faced down other dogs and had won most fights against them when fighting was needed. He was also normally on the winning side of dealing with the stray cats that bothered him regularly. His conflict with the holographic android's use on it making him feel like more. The gadget gave him advantages no dog had ever had before. It gave him in best description a bipedal, paws, no hands with thumbs, human speech capable, avatar.

With that device he'd show this pure machine he could take it on. Although since he couldn't reach it right then, well he'd have to do the next thing to ring to mind. Let his master show the artificial creature who was better. Circling Penny's legs to try and avoid the robot's inquisitive drive to encounter him better, made Brain feel like he really needed a better plan. Damn it, that now he in his obligation to his master, now that she was keeping to one place unlike earlier when all in their pack were moving about everywhere. Now he couldn't really race away far from the mechanical dog to then after a while return to her to later. How he'd gotten away with the behavior then was she didn't particularly need him at the time. Given that the interloper had just said a question to his master she'd taken to in a disquieting way, now Brain knew she needed him present.

Resisting the urge to assure her pet she doubted the robot meant anything bad to him, hoping Brain would wise up on his own. The girl shouted at Jake, "I'm not official. Those near me in age, yeah, you have to know someone on the inside like have parents working here."

Taking to leaning up against the teen, foreleg paws nested to just above her waist for support, while he stood on his hind legs. Brain gave Penny a look she had learned meant in his language, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Before running into the crowd of people milling around the lobby below, the robotic dog chasing after him along the way.

Originally Jake's chuckle being mistaken for a moment, Penny thought directed about how the two dogs were acting. She learned fast it had nothing to to with the pets scampering, but something else he brought up with, "sounds like what my dad did ages ago. Him talking with a guy named Drake Aquino, but that was made easy since JOY was meant for young ones."

Tried of trying to carry on a conversation with the friend Jake had insisted John talk with, it being difficult because of background noise. The inspector moving the cellphone away from his mouth after quick explanation to the woman on the other end why he was doing the act. John shouted at the visitor and his niece. "Both of you, I'm on the phone!"

Without caring to further pay either of them mind in his attention, John then attempted to pace about the sweet spot in continuing his talk. "I know what I've seen which I'll state is very little, none the less it is concerning. He was pressing, it appeared he was pressing hidden buttons in his skin to unlock a door. Above the skin? Then they were so small I couldn't see them. Had some kind of tattoo I noticed near those buttons. A scanner? I can't imagine why MAD would give any of their agents. Well, I had never heard of JOY before checking the internet today. All I know of is the Elite program MAD had setup for advancement a while ago. Is this guy a problem? No, I don't work for RAGE, why would they even be a factor? Why are you laughing? Trust him? We'll see."

What the inspector had not been doing, keeping an eye on those near by him of concern to him. The security systems analyst had been doing the reverse, noting what the Super HAPPY Agent was doing. After seeing the younger man press the virtual button on his cellphone's interface to end his call, Jake confronted him, grinning asking. "So am I still a possible problem Inspector?"

A deep breath felt needed before answering the question. After which John said. "Your friend suggested we work together. Said she was already in LA and about to confront the real problem going on right now."

The problem, at least the source. If it was coming from Los Angeles, with all the issues the city had in it, only one was really important to him. Believing the law enforcer to be familiar with that particular issue, Jake replied. "I only know of one real problem in that city she'd fly from DC over. What is the Voodoo group up to now?"

John simply looking at the former JOY Agent puzzled, handing back Jake his phone. Not knowing what the term used meant, the inspector working for HAPPY asked, "what?"

His co-worker slash friend distracted by something likely concerning. A note in motioning, passed from Marget to Alan. Alan knowing John confused sometimes lead to interesting things happening which shouldn't. He kindly broke away from his conversation with the lady to start walking over to confront the other non-local HAPPY Agent. Jake took the initiative in clearing up the younger cyborg's knowledge of what was being spoken of.

"I heard you mention RAGE while talking with her."

Knowledge gained, John remembering the one time he'd ever had to deal with the organization, stated. "I have no idea what RAGE is doing right now. I'm only glad about the fact they failed to get Nagual in office."

Blushing at the fact he'd failed himself at a task. Keeping a close eye on RAGE's schemes no matter what size. Not wanting personal disappointment in his ability to do this, enter his voice. Jake toning his reply to sound shocked instead of groaning growl like, queried. "Nagual was one of them? Wow, that really confirms suspicions I had given his campaign ads. What was Harb Nagual?"

"How'd you know he wasn't human?" John wondered aloud to Jake.

"Most of RAGE's staff isn't." Jake stated, trying himself to figure out the person whose job title had him in a role as a detective. How the HAPPY Agent he assumed once upon a time worked for the regular police force, him being so well in quotations observant.

Alan having returned to being near by, John stated before walking away to the other man. "I need to talk with my official given by HAPPY partner. Excuse me."

Feeling no need to press on what his partner had just been discussing with the visiting invader. Alan further taking aside John once he was in arm's reach. He told him, "this wasn't deemed too important a while back but there are prominent suspicions on where MAD has mostly been operating out of for quite a number of months now."

"After they regrouped after um," John couldn't bring himself to say in clearing up what he meant.

The destruction of Mt. Everfrost had been done with good reasoning. It's afterwards however now haunted him beyond what he knew about it at first. He had been told a good amount of MAD's Agents had been calling the hollowed out mountain, their home. He had caused those agents to become homeless but in strange moral compensation they thanks to HAPPY had been given shelter. Shelter they, most of them had decided to escape from. The inspector considered HAPPY's jail cells to be much nicer than those found in normal above ground ones. But what could he say really to that. He'd never been on the receiving end of having to be in either.

How much this fact of displacement should bother him always felt like a debate when he decided to put real thought into it. What now haunted his thoughts about the destruction of Mt. Everfrost was what in part had lead to it that now seemed to have resurfaced. The change in breathable gas, the atmosphere that had been slowly taking over MAD's headquarters. It was in suspect to having due to long exposure on some MAD Agents, to have made them ill and in some cases cause death after even being away from it. A couple HAPPY Agents had figured out some one working for MAD had some how gotten a hold of and refined the toxic gases from another plain of existence. Had he, Jonathan Heyward some how helped along that discovery of it being turned into a bio-weapon? He remembered telling some working for MAD about the unbreathable haze and precaution had to be taken with it. But ... but he should stop dwelling on that. After all to ease his conscious to that. He had never once told anyone working for the evil organization to do such an awful thing with the toxic stew they'd all been exposed to.

"After boom ba boom," Alan answered. The engineer remembering that Mt. Everfrost's destruction had been made unfortunately interesting in how that had happened. A bomb he'd helped make, suspected in advance not to work correctly when detonated. It had done it's alternate planned route all too well. It had exploded but when doing so set off other bombs MAD had placed in storage inside the mountain.

"Why haven't I been told about this before?" John asked, wondering why MAD's suspect new base of operations had not mentioned to him by text or voice from any of his fellow HAPPY Agents.

Breaking contact with John, Alan replied. "They haven't been very active in months. Nothing big except when they were trying to hijack those oil tankers out in the Pacific Ocean. Nothing large scale like this plague. Remember before what we were forced to do to Mount Everfrost, HAPPY had known for a long time where they were based but had no cause to go there. Now it's a different case."

"The broadcast given over Philly's airwaves, did that sound like him? Also to them and Mr. Finch, where does HAPPY think MAD is?" John asked, with his hopes only partially raised the information would be helpful. After all Icarus Finch's latest act might not have taken place anywhere near where MAD was currently using for a base. Then deciding despite not knowing the answer now. Knowing he'd soon likely have a lead, he started off towards the lobby.

They'd all spent too long there, they needed to be on the move to nab the bird controller to end the terror he was delivering to the nation. His need to push forward came, grateful he noted a feeling shared by the rest in his company, even those he wasn't familiar with in it. As the inspector made his way into the lobby, Alan answered the questions posed to him. "They've been in Idaho's wilderness apparently. John, I haven't been in his vicinity since I paid him a visit at Peregrine Hospital while he was in confinement. I don't remember his voice all that well now."

Pausing at a break point in the room where the lobby met with the lower most staircase greeting it. John queried, "Can we send a signal back to the source? Back to where MAD was talking from."

"No," came Alan's reply as he started ascending the stairs.

It felt embarrassing what he'd just done. What he was now caving into. Brain wasn't proud of his behavior of dealing with the robot dog. He had run from it but it never slowed up. The machine couldn't get winded, what had he been thinking? To make it worse, he had not had an easy time of avoiding it's attention. Too many humans moving about the area, too many obstacles he couldn't really force out of his way. Seeing he was a good deal behind his master in what appeared to be her and the others in her pack, leaving the locale they'd just spent some time in. This was shameful, he had to concede to the fake animal.

Before he took another step up the first staircase, that he knew marked him too far behind the rest of the pack for forgiveness. Brain tried his best to lay down on the stairs in the best submissive posturing he could to them. It hurt but he figured the edges of the stair steps poking at his rib cage, thighbones and legs harshly would soon be over. Just let the big metal dog do his rite and proclaim him, Brain the Delta, and him the Beta. No one would ever replace his master from being Alpha that was for sure. No matter what he went through he'd try his best to insure she keep her position.

"I've done some news surfing on MAD's activities of late. Bad or good considering we're trying to make contact, just knowing about this." After taking a breath Penny continued her speech adding. "Uncle John, there is a report coming from Miles City, Montana a whole bunch of them took over a motel there for the night last night."

His Alpha was making her self useful as she always did. Brain noted that about Penny as he got unexpected behavior dealt to him. The robotic dog wasn't proclaiming his new rank over him. It was trying to nudge him, get him to react. Not into a fight but into play. The thing had no interest in taking it's rightful place ahead of him for his folly. In pain he got up and glanced at the metallic beast. Why it would have it's mouth open and fake tongue looking in a panting state of expectation, Brain couldn't fathom it. For once this was something he felt no desire to research on. The metal one was different. It was exempt from needed normal understanding.

"This place, we're just crowding it a little more right now. Penny if this is true, what you said about MAD. That is a route we should look into. I've got to contact Chief Quimby about all this. Last I think he knew of this investigation, was just my acknowledgement of it and my special request." John stated as he stood holding the railing of the sectioned staircase. His and all of their placement, but the dogs, on a landing between the third highest and fourth set of the steps upwards.

"Then we shouldn't be leaving this place. We need HAPPY's resources to discover more about that motel take over they did," the high school student exclaimed.

Dogs bounding up the stairs to greet their masters. One of the masters now facing her only close blood relative. John told her, "MAD took over a motel? Penny that says they are traveling by land. Montana only has one major highway running through Miles City, Interstate 94. They must be heading away from Idaho. If we use the PDL and exit at Helena's first, we can likely catch up easily with them. That being after we make contact with the local police for any information you haven't already learned of. This hub can't provide us any help right now. They have enough on their plate minus us using their resources to track down MAD to apprehend one of their agents in turn."

Old eagerness resurfacing after an absence for too long a time. Jake's attention perked at hearing he hoped for granted opportunity. Tapping the inspector, he asked. "Your ride? What is it?"

"It's a 1983 Toyota Surpra," the HAPPY Agent replied to the former JOY Agent.

John didn't like the look Jake gave in reaction to hearing what he drove. The response given verbally displeased him even more. "Listen I've had the rare run in with MAD myself. Your car is over thirty years old. Man, what I own is better I'll let it be used if I get to drive. I know the PDL well or at least I used to before my access got cut. I can get us nearer to Miles City before a designated exit point to the surface and back to normal road speed law applying."

Should the man be doubted? John wished he could still question that as adamantly as he had prior to speaking with his friend or discovering he had not been lying about JOY's existence. Ms. Tabin did work in a high government position but she was no boss of him. She had no connection to HAPPY. The lady who helped guard the president had said he should work with the security systems analyst. Should he have faith in her, a fellow who's life was dedicated professionally to the lives of others? That John knew he had to submit to, no doubt on her. In turn that meant he should have no doubt on the other man other than what he knew for fact.

"It's been heavily modified. Inside and under it's hood you really wouldn't know that age matter. HAPPY got it out here because of me first having to deal with you before MAD. I've had enough flying for a while. My car is being used. Also before I continue, why can't you travel the PDL? What did you do?" John stated and questioned to the other cyborg.

"No JOY, no joy. I'm no longer associated working with the government and Agent Heather doesn't count since we aren't married." Jake answered, with hope one reason unsaid or at least he hoped unsaid had never met a file, why the access had been cut. A guess he had shared politely with his friends and family, he'd never liked thinking of. He had too much joy speeding through the PDL when he'd been with the government. JOY being dissolved was the official reason. Him likely having earned too many tickets to count if the PDL had normal highway speeding laws applied to it. He hoped there was no paper trail for the inspector to discover.

"What do you know or think you know about the PDL, I don't?" The idea intrigued John, Jake might know a way to catch up to MAD faster. Although how the PDL would allow for different exit points not known to him from it's directory. That was worth questioning.

Having a moment like this was something Jake relished. He knew information that put him at an advantage. A person employed by HAPPY, that had apparently traveled the PDL, did not know all it's ins and outs. He didn't know all it's ins and outs, it had finished being constructed after JOY had ceased to be. But the government not always finishing up it's projects proper. He betted what he knew still held and best yet what he knew had not been gained by zippy memory. Looking smug, he answered. "When it was being hollowed out and constructed, safety was of course always a concern. Inspector, through out the whole course of it to my knowledge it has extra exits which aren't marked. Paths out, for fear of sudden cave in. I'm sure Miles City has at least one of these unmarked exits."

\- Interstate 94 -

"No, it doesn't bother me!" Sydney proclaimed as she carefully attempted to reposition herself atop the SUV she was strapped to.

She was lying but it wasn't a bad lie. Their transport in the sport utility vehicle fleet was going at nearly sixty miles per hour down the interstate. Finch could tell the woman was trying to put on a brave facade about what she and him were doing. He wondered if she or any other grunt working for MAD ever expected more than a nicely sized paycheck for doing as requested off assignment. He'd wanted the feel of the wind and to his knowledge Sydney while respecting his ways, wasn't like him. She had enjoyed mountain climbing as a hobby in her spare time prior to the first HQ getting blown sky high. Not wind in the face and all around, flying sky high like himself. Seeing if he could catch a break in her ability to hide the truth, Finch asked. "Would it if you looked off to your side? I don't mean the roof of the vehicle when I say that."

The ropes where holding them both in tight to the machine. She knew she could depend on their further grip on her waist and legs. But complying with her superior's little wish? The grunt didn't dare look or say anything. Instead she did what she felt she could to prove her courage. Trying her best to reach him, she hit Finch in the gut. An upset disturbed cry of a bird sounded from the hit.

Panic flooding him, Finch opened the front of his hoodie's head & neck opening wide and peered down into the depths of the garment's confines. Putting a hand to her mouth in shock of forgetfulness, the lady from Tanzania said, "I'm so sorry, I forgot he was in there! Is he ok?!"

Still peering down towards his belly where the bird was sitting awkwardly. It was a few moments more before Finch answered her question. "He's pissed off and I can't blame him. Blackie are you hurt?"

The crow relayed it's feelings in bird speak. It's feathers raising and lowering, head twitching and eyes narrowing. Understanding what is said minus squawking, Finch was sure it would have been vulgar language in it's native verbal speech. In loose wording he told his owner. "I think I'm brushed. I'm sure of it. Want to stretch my wings." That coming from the feathers having being puffed out before returning to normal against the body. The first two head twitches also helping in relaying that information. How Finch knew the bird wanted to say more was by the further head twitches and narrowing eyes. Aves cursing wasn't the same as human cursing but Blackie did know a number of curse words in English. The native verbal speech having been left out in response. While Sydney had certainly heard the Specialized Agent curse. The crow cursing. Finch knew her hitting the animal had been a mistake and felt glad his feathered friend was holding back for her emotional sake.

Stopping looking down into his hoodie's head and neck opening. Returning his full attention to the grunt, Finch answered. "Just a little brushed. He'll be fine."

Taking the opportunity to latch the pet to a matter they'd talked to some degree about just before leaving Miles City. Sydney pointed out, "only the little guys should have fear, Finch. I don't see what you have to lose by making your request to Doctor Claw."

Blackie understanding her words but not to the correct context decided then he should shift positions in his master's garb. Surprised by the sudden movement around him and feeling a tad grateful he wasn't very ticklish. Finch raised up one of his arms as the crow scuffled himself to being behind the man. Wanting to clear up misconception about how MAD worked. Finch stated, "anyone should fear the repercussions of defying Doctor Claw, not just grunts."

When she shook her head no, Finch was ready to give a retort and emphasize his words, until she quickly added. "I am having a hard time believing you have done nothing so far to rejoin your friends in the sky."

Proof mainly stashed away in his suitcase, Finch carefully began to dive a hand into a pants pocket for what was readily available. Locating what he sought minus further disturbing Blackie, he pulled out a flash drive to hold up to Sydney. As she fixed her attention on the object, he explained it. "I wrote down paper notes last night. Also when everyone was asleep and no one in the lobby I used the guest access computer and typed in some of those notes to digital format."

Another reaction the bird shepherd wasn't feeling keen on seeing her produce. The lady grunt seemingly in reaction, laughing. That was cause for anger, and he didn't care if they were friends. She needed some strong words from him at the least. If his new flight suit literally were to ever leave the ground instead of just being a collection of ideas, he'd likely be needing her help.

Sydney realizing she might have made a mistake in her timing, her friend's glare and balled fists relaying that. She'd meant no offense intended. Quite an opposite in fact, she burst out in a jovial tone. "We are going to have a pyramid for a home soon. I think of some of Egypt's claim to fame when I think of that. It won't be our tombs or I should hope not. Finch, ancient Egyptian myth. Today well soon, you'll be like a real life Bennu."

Trying her best to back away from him just in case he was still unjustly upset at her. An impossible task really being strapped to the roof of a moving vehicle, she was least able to budge an inch. Fortunately what she had told him had taken. From balled fists and glare to a slim smile and open palms facing the metal roof. Finch replied to her, "I like the idea of that, thanks."

Rubber tires making swift screeching noises against asphalt. The second car into the fleet, out of sorts movement starting to emerge from it. That causing the rest in the fleet to take caution and veer away from it. Towards the back of the caravan of MAD Agents on the go. The only SUV with people rope tied to it's roof, both Finch and Sydney felt grateful for being near the back of the pack. Their transport wasn't wildly moving to avoid the actions of the ones further up from them. It and them were so far back, their driver had time to respond more thought out to the predicament. Still their position even tied down, both of them held their breath in fear that at any moment their ropes might not hold them right. Then they'd be in trouble if their ride did a sudden movement.

What faith they had in their driver paid off. Neither had caved into yelling at him to try and stay steady on the road. The man had kept a cool head even with the commotion in front confronting him. By then the fleet, the reaction from the drivers of the other SUVs. They had mainly driven themselves gingerly off the road to halt on the bare ground or planted themselves to the interstate, refusing too to move. Their ride had chosen to do the formal. The wayward car had chosen to do the first.

Superior and subordinate in an exchanged look to each other that asked the same question. What just happened? Finch tried to peer off towards the front of the mess of stopped vehicles and fellow MAD Agents exiting their rides. This visual inspection done in hopes to understand better what had just happened in front of them. Sydney squinted her gaze to look off into the distance behind them. This visual inspection done in hopes of not seeing any signs of the police coming.

Law enforcement while always a concern to MAD, had not been of much concern for the last few hours. The majority of the organization had been on the go steadily for hours down the road with no trouble presenting it's self. Why that had been was what had been done before exiting Miles City.

Breakfast for the most part had not taken place within the Super 7 Motel. It's typical generic to tourist taste larder of stockpiled foods wasn't what everyone wanted. Mistakes in petty theft to obtain different dining choices had led to their discovery. About their presence not only in hash browns, submarine sandwiches, and corn chips, but also the invaded conquered motel. Mallory Prophet had helped when the cops had started buzzing in on them. Him and his arsenal of custom made bombs. Once the man had caught wind of their blown subterfuge to the local area, he unpacked them and went to town in their usage.

Food theft had caused the start of their problem. The ending to that problem, Mallory's bombs painted to resemble pineapples & pears, not one soul among all the agents refused to take as unironic. They had not only forced cops and other resident dwellers of the city to keep at bay while the agents had hightailed it to the SUV fleet. They had destroyed the off ramp road the motel was seated off of and some of the interstate leading away from it. Unless the police force had vehicles at their disposal which could over come heavily damaged formerly smooth terrain, the caravan had nothing to worry about.

Still Sydney liked to keep tabs on what was taking place around her. Luck had stuck with them all this far, she knew it couldn't last forever. Whatever had happened to the car near the front of the fleet was proof enough of that. Nothing seen coming towards them in the distance behind them. The grunt settled for their continued good fortune, before trying to see if she could do something of her bound waist and legs. She wanted off the car now since it was no longer in motion.

She wasn't alone in this want to get down off the roof to the vehicle, Finch was starting into the same action himself but handling it differently. As he tried to gently lean down and to the side of the SUV, the movement intended not to disrupt Blackie further. He didn't do a good job. The crow didn't like the movement period and decided he'd had enough. He exited his owner's confining to him garb, just as the man slammed his hand against the rear passenger window. The Specialized Agent tried to get the attention of a different grunt.

"Bruce? Buddy, since we aren't moving anymore could you loosen the ropes? Sydney and I want down," Finch requested.

From inside the car, keeping the pair in place on the roof had felt to Bruce like a headache he once more wished never to go through again. He'd done this favor once before for the man months back after being part of the staff to help free the bird shepherd from hospital confinement. The man had insisted he needed air and stressed that want deeply to the rescue party. The robe idea had been his idea when seeing the robe the rescue party had not needed to put to use in freeing him. Why the rope had even been present to start with had been a mystery to Finch, Bruce noticed. It hadn't taken much to figure out why that was minus the Specialized Agent explaining it. He was used to no confines at all to the preferred aerial side of his job. Tying people up to ensure they caused no trouble had never been really part of his job description.

Once he'd been secured to the roof of the van they decided to use to rescue him. That is when Bruce had started to wish he'd decided to go against the request which to him felt like an order. What if the rope didn't hold him in place right? To that thought what if they hit a bump in the road and boom, not in a good way the man got his wish of flight again? What if this mode of transport some how went against Doctor Claw's code of conduct on assignment? If Finch wound up dying from his own rescue, Bruce would:

. Lose a friend.

. Likely be hanged some how by Doctor Claw. The how of that Bruce Marroe did not want to give proper thought towards. He'd rather ignore what he'd been told by others the man did to quickly dispose of others.

. Be tasked with finding a replacement staff member to Finch.

He didn't like the first two outcomes one bit. The third felt like an impossible task to undertake. The guy was the only person he'd ever known or had heard of who could understand and control animals on the level he did. Spooky, weird, and wild had been Bruce's exact thoughts when meeting him for the first time which was also when learning of his talent. The grunt doubted MAD would ever have the same recruiting luck again.

A freaking headache all over again. The grunt hesitated on that thought while the birdman tried to patiently wait for his freedom. Sensing things weren't all right the heavily muscled man got a visitation from a perceiver of this. Perching on the rope slanting down in towards the passenger window, Blackie looked in on Bruce.

Had the Specialized Agent commanded the pet to peer in on him? Told the animal to relay if Bruce was doing as he was told? Would there be a repercussion for not acting faster? Concern filling his head fast, Bruce asked. "Any more of your buddies up there?"

He'd meant of the aves type, and not from Finch did an answer come. Sydney hit the roof, starling her fellows below on the same pay grade. Then a second answer came and from who Bruce had directed his question. Sounding sly Finch said, "no but I could get them to come."

What had been going on wasn't of a large concern to only other grunt who could really take action due to his location to the ropes crossing the ceiling over his head. Only bothered a little by the commotion going on around him, the MAD Agent nicknamed Slick, felt he had better things to tend to. The game action on this phone of commanding little digital birds to topple structures made by green pigs. The guy prided himself on his skill of not having ever used a paid cheat on the game. The game annoyed Bruce. The man who had been paying attention was only too glad to bring it to Slick's attention he needed assistance untying the ropes. He'd have liked it more if getting Slick's attention had been harder. That would have been the perfect excuse to destroy his phone.

Slick being lightly ticked he'd been told to stop what he was doing and be useful didn't go far. While his gaming was of importance to his mind as a source of amusement and test to his ability to solve problems, however problems which didn't have influence on real life. His bones and organs were higher up on the list of what he should be paying attention to. He didn't want to discover what fun consequence in reality angry birds could do to him.

Ropes done too tightly in knots as a precaution, both men got frustrated by this as they tried to work their fingers into the tightly packed fibers of the things. Not making progress at a rate to be proud of, this got remedied in an unexpected way. An internal laborer in the front's passenger seat helped. If MAD employees could be cited on anything, lack of weapons no matter what position they held would never be one of those things. The janitor's push dagger, slit through the double braided thick nylon with ease.

At hearing the sounds of scuffling and thumps against the metal over head, those in the SUV could tell there was success with the agents freeing themselves of their bindings. They were grateful the pair had commonsense about displacing themselves from the roof in getting off it. No feet on the back window's glass. None of them needed something new added to their pile of troubles. A foot breaking the glass by mistake wasn't needed to that.

Feet back on the ground, without saying aloud her thanks to god for that happening safely as opposed to mistake and becoming clumpy abstract road art earlier. Sydney walked towards the front of the car that had been carrying her to ask the driver what had happened. If Blake had information her & Finch didn't know about the second into the caravan encountering such a disorder it needed to go off road and stop. Blake having just clicked off his CB radio had an answer for her the moment he saw the woman approaching him.

"Two matters, the thing is a damn lemon that I'm glad ain't mine. Before you ask, coolant block and a bad tire." Not much of a statement from the driver, it at least part ways answered what had happened.

"Isn't a coolant block an under the hood matter? Why would that effect the tires?" The grunt asked not seeing a clear connection between the two problems.

After releasing a large sigh from his nose, the driver stated. "The evaporated antifreeze. It's smokey form. The guy freaked out about it coming up into his ride from out the vents and hood. Started moving erratically and that caused him to blow one of the damn tires."

Knowing whom he was speaking to minus looking in her direction, he asked her. "You're labor. You know anything about vehicles? Fixin them?"

Sydney's answer to Blake came in Swahili creative cursing for which she sorely wished the man whom she doubted understood it, did so. Exchanged language lessons between herself & Finch of Turkish and her native tongue. Him catching every insult she uttered. Walking over to her to guide her away from their former transportation, he told her. "I'll get this."

"Who here knows anything about fixing cars? There has to at least be one among us skilled in that department!" Finch shouted into the crowded road of the parked fleet with fellow agents removing themselves from their rides.

It was a good assumption that at least someone working for MAD had the skill of being a mechanic. After all the organization had produced some fantastic feats of mechanical engineering it could take pride in. Unfortunately automobile repair was not in any one's present skill set. Weapons, robots, and machines of death, but not if needed doing something more than jump starting a car or changing a tire. That fact made Finch wonder how Doctor Claw's jet-rocket car had ever been made. At a guess he figured the boss had done some venture without assistance from his employees and had it made from outside, likely forced help. Either that or those working for MAD who had built it just weren't present. Finch had further disappointment when he learned from more querying, none of them belonged to a motor club to call for help.

In a consensus between all of them they hit upon a solution about their problem, not wanting to leave behind the valuable employees of the damaged car. Send the driver into the nearest town. Have him locate a repair garage and try to hire their needed help. If that failed, hiring the garage's mechanic. Kidnap the person and take them back to the caravan to work on the immobile SUV.

Through out most areas across the United States exists large gaps of land with nothing notable present. Farm lands, government owned property, expansive private property, and nature reservations. The fleet was parked along side and in, on one of them but which of them, not of them could care less. The driver had set out at a brisk pace back towards the last town they'd passed through. That jog had started a few hours ago. To wherever be it in Montana or North Dakota they were, all wished it had closer together drive through towns than whichever one the man had left for. This breakdown an inconvenience and some talk at whisper decibel to do away with the staff rooted to the cause. Not literally turning firing into a different definition than dictionary stated. Not wanting to further bother their boss about this wanted change of plan. A different idea spread through out the waiting caravan by the O'Shea brothers. Playing a game of 'Horse-fly Shoes' to take their minds off the wait.

It was a simple game but it acted as an effective distraction from their predicament. It consisted of one agent placing a bullet into the ground. A flag but in this case a makeshift one of a kleenex tied to a stick, sticking up from the ground right were the planted bullet was. Outwards from the bullet and flag, rings drawn into the earth surrounding them located a few feet separate from each other. The goal was to shoot the flag or better yet the buried bullet. Each ring closer in meaning a higher point value than those further out. A hit on the flag was ten points. A hit on the bullet meant an automatic declaration to the shooter being proclaimed the winner. With each shot taken by a player, with the next shot taken they'd need to back away another yard from the flag & bullet to increase the difficulty of the task. First to reach a total of thirty points winning, if the bullet of course was failed to be struck.

As rounds of playing the game took place, their minds drifted away from their woes and on to nicer thoughts. Knowing they'd all soon have a true headquarters again for MAD. Added they'd all soon have what they saw as non-sickening rooms to rest in. The tagging of calling the house boats such as that by employees who suffered from mild sea-sickness from Weda' Dembai Lake's changing tides. These new rooms while being former government offices and maybe even some spaces really meant to be lived in. Talking of how to make up the new rooms & residence to reflect what each of them wanted to show of personal taste and professional need. The break in the horizon of an object appearing on it, wasn't immediately noted as they gabbed and fired shots towards the white flag.

When the sound of the object's engine found it's way to their ears, they started paying attention to it. Seeing it was some form of car had been of course the first note made. But did it belong to a common passer by for the interstate? A tow truck? An emergency or law enforcement vehicle? When it's paint job got identified and a set of police lights moved up and out of it's roof by transformation, they knew what was approaching them. It was the Gadgetmobile, a normal law enforcement vehicle would have been more welcomed than this one. Because for over a year it's owner Inspector Heyward or as they had taken to more calling him, Inspector Gadget. He had dealt with virtually all of them at some point in time. If not foiling one of their assignments then being remembered as one of the men who lead to their former headquarters's destruction.

Lights finally up after miles of traveling without their placement overhead to prevent confusion to the local populace about their meaning minus a target in sight. John parked the Toyota at a distance from the crowded road in front of him filled with sport utility vehicles and MAD Agents. The front of the Gadgetmobile started feeling crowded in it's own right soon after he had parked it. Sitting beside him up front, Alan didn't feel the need to try and get a better view of the sight by pressing himself forward towards the windshield. Sitting in the backseat his niece, and extra assistance felt different. Penny and Jake got up to bend forward over his and Alan's seats for a better view. The inspector felt grateful at least Brain and the near stranger's robot, G9 didn't have the same inclination.

With Jake peering over his shoulder, John couldn't help but try and make an observation about him. No banning on his neck or arms. The near invisible markings he had, a former MAD Agent, and another agent of MAD that had disappeared months ago, all had. What made Jake Anatech a cyborg was becoming more and more clearer to him, he wasn't like any sophisticated bio-technology one he'd previously encountered.

Not being sure what to say to his guest as the man took in what was before them. The inspector for HAPPY should have spoken up given the chance. Why that was so is because otherwise John was sure Jake would have never left the car moments later. With the exception of the two dogs, he was sure the feeling of shock by Jake's brash decision to encounter a majority of MAD on his own. It had to have been felt by everyone else present.

Shock at the former JOY Agent approaching the MAD Agents. Them watching him approach, it struck them except for a few. It was a mixed ranking minority of them that didn't feel all together confused by the sight of him. When thoughts he might be Inspector Gadget given the vehicle he'd exited from were said aloud, other MAD Agents well familiar with the HAPPY Agent said no. When it was voiced by a member of the minority he seemed familiar. When he'd come to within a non-shouting distance. That is when Jake felt the need to test the memory of the person who'd spoken up since he rarely dealt with MAD. Just how had he stuck in the man's mind?

"Were you at Augusta a few years back?" Jake asked Ivan, expecting the answer of yes.

Shaking his head no, Ivan also voiced as much in feedback. This coming as a minor surprise to the analyst since the location of Augusta was involved in his latest dealing with MAD. Jake tried again to determine how the agent had recognized him by asking, "Knoxville?"

Second question with just location asked, this time Ivan simply gave Jake an odd look and shook his head no. The incident in Knoxville having happened some time ago as far as recent memory was concerned. The security systems analyst felt puzzled by what could have made the man think he'd seen him before unless the youth simply had a bad memory. It took one of the older grunts to finally say words of true recognition to his identity.

"Don't you travel in the company of a business suited woman and robot dog?" Pop's asked wagging a finger at Jake as he spoke the question.

To be proud to be acknowledged by these ruffians is something many wouldn't care to do. At least with respectable people. Jake viewed them with the same contempt as any decent person would. But with his history in dealings with them being so few and spread apart time-wise. Knowing HAPPY was more familiar with them then himself. The HAPPY Agents near him getting really apprised he'd had these squabble dealings with them. That to an extent, he was on some familiar turf here. The question the grunt had posed to him, made him smile. After snapping his fingers, he replied. "I remember you too, Pops."

Drawing nearer to Jake, balling a fist at first before reaching towards a gun holster to his side, Pops asked another query. "You working with Inspector Gadget? That is his car out there after all."

Gun holster well noted on Pop's side when the man had started moving his right hand towards it. That gave Jake pause but not one that lasted long. He knew what to do if necessary but the exact course of action to that all depended on if and how the man might draw the gun on him. Pause over, the former JOY Agent answered. "At this moment yes, but I thought I'd take the initiative and prove a little something to the guy."

His hand resting now firmly on the top of the nested Ruger P89. Pops further asked, "that being?"

He felt like cursing aloud that he actually wished the MAD Agent would just draw his gun already. Nuts for sure as viewed by those unprepared for their lives to be completely threatened. He knew he could likely handle anything the man tried to dish out at him. Having felt that latest question coming in advance. Jake had prepared this answer well and told it not letting on he was ready for what surely was coming soon. "I can do what he does and maybe better. You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a mister Icarus Finch? The Inspector and all those connected with him. We know that fellow MAD Agent to you is causing some trouble on the east coast. Two towns, lots of birds, lots of calls into work of people saying they can't come in due to coming down with the plaque."

"If memory serves, you don't work for HAPPY do you?" The grunt was now grinning having released a light giggle while he'd spoken his commentary question.

So what if he didn't. LockTech paid him well and while he didn't have quick access to the resources he once did. Jake knew he still had good friends eager to help with the resources connected to them, to help him. Smoothing his left arm with his right hand, he said. "What is so funny?"

This is when it became apparent more to not just Pops, but hesitant Ivan and other MAD Agents. The former JOY Agent might be worth their time as other than a curiosity. Was he more trouble than he looked to be? A pack of wolves closing in on him was Jake's only mental comparison towards how they appeared to be approaching him. Sliding up his jacket's sleeve slowly, trying to keep his gaze focused on Pops, as the grunt replied still laughing. "Your and their accusation. If you worked for HAPPY I'd say you all had pea sized brains, but I guess your ability to figure things out right. All of you quote un quote do-gooders. You're all dumb!"

Unbuttoning the cuff of his shirt sleeve. Drawing the cloth of the sleeve up his arm. Positioning his right hand over the forearm for his left. Not wanting banter with the old man. Jake hoping the gang up on him coming was something he could handle as well as a conceivably drawn gun on him. He asked again, "where is Icarus Finch? HAPPY and everyone else needs him to stop what he is doing."

Trigger happy criminals, MAD's Agents fit the stereotype of that. At hearing the repeated request made to him, Pops finally took the action Jake had been expecting. Pointing a gun at his head. The analyst lifting his left hand up to cup the firearm's nozzle, he mentally quoted Bugs Bunny. He don't know me very well do he? The former JOY Agent suppressed a grin as he subtlety worked the button controls integrated into the arm of the cupping hand. Not sure what to make of Jake's actions, Pops just shook his head lightly and said. "I don't care if you're unarmed."

Further confusion from the grunt came when firing his gun at Jake, the bullets refused to leave the weapon and met the man's palm. Frustrated with the inaction of the pistol, the MAD Agent wanted to shake it free of the other man's contact with it. As Jake then decided to take a firmer grip over it. Getting more upset with each passing moment of Jake's handling of his Ruger P89, it's inability to shoot the man's hand to red pulp, Pops finally let out with. "Why won't this thing go off!?"

"I'm holding it's bullets in place," the cyborg answered. Wondering if that would have it click in the man's brain, two and two. Letting the cat out of the bag, he'd dealt with MAD going back to before they were MAD. If not that then maybe the goon would think Jake mystical for the ability. He shuttered at that last thought. No comparisons to people he didn't like. That match up he could do without.

"That's impossible!" Pops shouted, snapping the exclamation.

"That's me," Jake proclaimed.

Breaking the stalemate, an internal worker named Moss hit Jake in one of the worse spots be could have picked of the man beyond normal choices of anatomy. Since his left arm came across as a focal point of interest, with the security systems analyst tending to it as it's hand cupped the gun. Moss tried to put as much brute strength as he could into whamming it.

Fortunately for Jake he'd hit the side of it not needing a bio-technician's touch in case of damage. That didn't stop the pain through as he instinctively felt the need to cradle it with his opposite hand. Unfortunately the hit had also forced him to break his contact with the pistol, simultaneously breaking his repulsing electromagnetic hold on it.

Him being caught off guard thanks to Moss, the other wolves closed in. As Jake took to staying alert to both Pops and the internal worker, a grunt struck him in the back. The blow sent him almost flat to the ground and it would have been a full body concussion with the road's pavement if not for years of facing off & on combat with other foes. Taught instinct kicking in, he placed his elbows in a propping position and created a roll for himself from there with them bending sideways.

The roll designed in movement to have him go into facing the direction of the person who'd hit him. The former JOY Agent hit him back in his chest area with a laser shot from his left pointer finger. Pops made the two and two connection then, shouting. "You're a cyborg like the Inspector!"

Another MAD Agent thinking he could further still get the better of the analyst. This one coming at him with a ready garrote. Jake kicked out while still on the ground, striking his feet, sending him in a stumble on to the asphalt. The cyborg boasted, "Knowledge is power and for sometime now on these rare instances of dealing with you folks, I've withheld that from you!"

In quick motion getting himself up from the ground, Jake again fell pray to another assault on him. A different MAD Agent than the one he'd just kicked, grabbed him into a python tight grip to hold him still while simultaneously pinning his arms to his sides. More MAD reinforcement in front of him, another new face whom the former JOY Agent guessed likely wasn't a grunt or internal worker based upon his appearance. In all likelihood a Specialized Agent due to his garb of a business suit, sunglasses, some form of exotic flower pinned to his jacket as a lapel. Plus a pair of green gloves, they were what Jake felt the special need to focus on of the man. In them, a double hold, the man held a gun pointed at the cyborg.

Cursing was the first thought to ring to his mind about what could finally be his last moments of life. But like many times before where he thought he was about to face such a bleak fate. Giving his opponent words from him to chew on and make the other think about. Hopefully as a distraction adding a few extra moments for him to figure something out for an escape. The former JOY Agent came out with, "I figured if you knew me better you'd up your game when dueling with me. I already have one major evil organization well prepared against me. I don't need two."

Mr. Greenfinger unfortunately for the analyst, couldn't care less about the comment and so tried to fire his gun at the enemy captive any way. Nothing happened as he clicked his Sig-Sauer P229. The realization it had no bullets in it came to emotional opposite ends for the suit wearing MAD Agent and security systems analyst. Loathing and rage from the MAD Agent. Relief and joy from the law abider. After cursing aloud, the second man to wield a firearm in Jake's direction at least that day, asked. "What have you done to my gun!?"

In utter delight which barely surfaced to his face, Jake stated. "Nothing you bonehead. I think you're just out of bullets."

From the green gloved man, he emitted cursing then after murmured under his breath he shouldn't have played that last round of horse-flies. To Jake the MAD Agent's cursing had been clear in it's meaning, but horse-flies? The former JOY Agent couldn't figure that out and decided it best a question left to be answered later.

As Mr. Greenfinger asked another of his co-workers for a new weapon to try and dispatch Jake with. An odd exchange took place of the heavyset man once hearing his request granted, handing over to the other MAD Agent his lapel as a gift. Besides wondering what importance the tropical flower had between them. Jake also wished maybe he shouldn't have gone into the fray minus having help present.

Heather had been by his side for so many years, he had some time ago started viewing her like a sister. It had not come as a large shock to him when she'd admitted to him a few years back she saw him in a brother form. That spoken aloud revelation coming when he'd told her his viewing of her. When Rory caught wind of hearing their viewing of one another, the other man joked he'd known for a while he wasn't Heather's only brother. When Freda and Otto caught wind of it, they said they were disappointed the young lady they'd come to know over the years wasn't to be what they always hoped for him. However it minus being noted on legal document what her last name was, they would still use the name Anatech on her. Because a sister would still be a relation to their son.

His other help he had not seen much of lately, Myron. He would have helpful to be here right now too. Not in the same sense as his female friend, but useful for what she wasn't inclined to do. He could create means to aid escape without physical violence used. The gadgets the man made some times did have harmful impacts on others. The laser he'd given Jake a small reminder of that. Those inventions most of the time had creative properties to them. Their revealing functions of distraction, sometimes binding, sometimes metaphorically explosive in action. They'd done a world of good to self given missions he'd taken on. One of Myron's early efforts of engineering still served him well on most every ordeal he'd faced. Granted the mutt had changed to an unrecognizable extent since first being given as a gift. G9 too would have been a real help right now.

Former dog, former cyborg by his artificially created brain, now fully robotic. The dog couldn't invent things to help out. He or it, couldn't kick and punch a person. Although being a K9, G9 could bite and scratch, two things discouraged in human behavior. Plus aside from having a high level of energy to him outside of his recharge sleep time. The high tech. beast when prompted could emit sound on a level even with Jake's enhanced larynx, an augmentation only used as a dog whistle to the pet, the man couldn't preform. Shrill and beyond the ability to be heard even by flesh and blood animals. A sonic weapon that had only been used experimentally by the military. It when used by the metal mutt, it could incapacitate, disorientate, and cause visual delusion. The third being the most fun for Jake to observe in action by the vocal device. When it had made men think they saw things which weren't real. For example the robotic dog turning into other machines and even other animals. He wished he could see what Myron had made sure he was immune to, but at least watching their reactions to fabricated truths, that never failed to be a dull sight.

G9 being the only one of his close friends to be a normal part of the action of his adventures, present. Jake felt saddened the dog wasn't closer by to help. Shut up inside a supped up sports car with a fellow K9 and humans that knew the other animal better. If only Jake had thought to let him out of the vehicle when he'd left it maybe things would be better for him now. A bullet he couldn't prevent or would fail to be present in the gun, was what he was expecting next. What the analyst wasn't expecting is what happened. Fire in a roaring blaze hitting the road not far from where the MAD Agents and himself were standing. Something no someone to pull their minds off trying to kill the former JOY Agent, while he was present. John had left the car and he had by use of one of his gadgets, gotten everyone's attention.

"Do I have everyone's attention?" The inspector shouted out to the crowd before him.

Indeed John did, much to Jake's relief, giving the older cyborg the diversion opportunity he'd needed to free himself. The HAPPY Agent's intervention had also finally struck consideration to be a minded case for MAD's leader. After having a word with the driver to the SUV, Doctor Claw was sitting in. Gracie stepped out from the vehicle and asked Inspector Gadget, shouting too since the distance between them had her at near the front of the caravan, while John was well behind it's end placement. "Are you here to try and deliver us to the law or set us on fire?"

Stepping forward more, feeling like a cat thrown into a dog kennel. John resisted the urge to call upon any of his defensive gadgets, while entering the space the MAD Agents occupied. After eying Jake with what the other man hoped wasn't all together bad recognition for what he'd tried to do on his own. The inspector answered, "I'm one of the good guys. I'd never do such a thing and when I say that, I mean arson. Second the state and federal authorities know you're out this way. You can't destroy a number of lives at a local motel. Plus total Main Street crossing 8th to Leighton Boulevard with bombs without notice."

Unmoving from her position at the side of the car she'd been earlier given authorization to drive, Gracie then asked, "It has reached Doctor Claw's attention you're out here for Icarus Finch. Is that true?"

"There are a lot of people that would be grateful if he stopped his attacks. Those birds he's controlling have caused at lot of hospitalizations and deaths, where he's unleashed them." John replied, looking over the crowd trying to spot the bird shepherd, unsuccessfully.

Knowing action needed taking, Doctor Claw pressed the button command on the SUV's door nearest him. This rolled down his window, and with armored hand, motioned for Gracie to come to him. The internal worker obeying the command she heard from the man after leaning in towards the opened window to hear him. Then went to the task of on her own, gathering every grunt worker she felt she needed for Dr. Claw's order, each getting apprised of coming needed action. Once she'd collected all wanted staff, she shouted to the inspector HAPPY Agent. "You can have him. His contribution to us hasn't been all that great lately."

Before the inspector had shown up out of his car, when he'd first heard his name mentioned by the cyborg he'd never known of before. Finch had taken to almost completely hiding himself from the stranger representing the law. He'd moved further and further in towards the front of the parked fleet. His final place to move that until now felt safe, was at the front of one of the foremost sport utility vehicles. He'd been there in a crouched position, peaking out from it, hoping no one would really take notice of him there. Although more accurately no one working outside of MAD.

When he'd heard Gracie's announcement of Doctor Claw's readiness to hand him over to the inspector and stranger. That ended his spot of safety. Fellow MAD Agents near by knew where he was. He had no real spot to be safe. If he ran, they'd catch him, and he knew the upwards y-axis was no longer accessible. In panic he felt only one game plan remained to him. Crawl under the car he'd been hiding in front of, and hope if he went far enough beneath it, no one could grab him.

The grunts picked for the job, wondering about loyalty tried to tap those among them they knew the birdman trusted. Bruce and Sydney knowing why they'd been asked to help pull their friend out from underneath the SUV he hiding. Tried to brush off the request feigning deafness to hearing the request made of them.

Muscled, skinny, lanky, average, whatever Finch's body type was, which happened to be for one of those. Chubby he certainly was not, if he were pudgy that would have made grabbing him a faster job. His height of six feet and muscled but scrawny in that department compared to some grunts he knew. Being of fair size but actually wishing he were just a bit smaller. In a rare show of talent, he'd managed to get himself centered beneath the SUV in a way mischievous wildlife hiding under a car could only hope to accomplish. It only took a few tries at grabbing for him for the tapped grunts to start to get a hold of him.

Not the first fellow MAD Agent to take hold of him, that one having managed to grab one of his hands over his right foot. The next one who'd managed to make his way beneath the vehicle. He not only had tried to pull the Specialized Agent further out then the first had done so far. He joined to look at the birdman briefly, face to face to make a statement to him away from ears not of MAD Agents being able to hear him. "We don't need more heat from HAPPY. You prevent that. Tell them nothing or make up shit. We'll spring you once we're settled in the new HQ. You'll get something nice from this, you name it."

What he'd been told in the awkward privacy of the vehicle's underside didn't help Finch's mood much after he'd been dragged out from where he'd been. Two of his colleagues were holding on to him, both of them making sure he moved forward. Two others moving with them, their presence only needed to reinforce he should have no ideas of truly trying to escape their company.

Before being turned over to the HAPPY Agent present to be handcuffed, the bird shepherd tried his best to think of something positive about this situation. He was going back into being handled by American law enforcement, maybe even international if people decided to nitpick him over origin. He had not done much of anything wrong as of late by their standards. His time held judicially captive in St. Peregrine Hospital. That was the equivalent of jail time for the robberies he and his flocks had lent assistance to in his opinion. He'd been promised that he'd be be freed in time from HAPPY's confines or normal jail. But in how much time would that be? They maybe had one more day's travel before reaching Nekoma. But after that, taking the pyramid for their own. If the money handed over settled legal questions to at least a mildly satisfactory level for the government property. If they found the place really truly suited MAD's needs well. How long would it take them to settle into the place to then feel they were ready to get him back after that? Also this man he was being handed over to, the inspector. His name he'd heard uttered as the stranger who wasn't him, stepped forth. It sounded familiar and important. Although important not just because he worked for the enemy, it was something else too.

Whatever could make the inspector seem important to him, minus the fact the guy was taking him into custody. Finch pondered on his memories of any and all recollections he had of the man being mentioned among his fellow MAD Agents. John although was thinking of other things as Jake finally decided he's had enough of being amidst criminal opposition and starting moving away from them. The guy whom John guessed slightly older than himself. John could now see better how he'd been mistaken for himself. They'd hadn't so far seemed to have any machine commonalities between them. That was up until he'd noticed the way the former JOY Agent was threatening the MAD Agents to try and keep them from trying to harm him further. Sensing his presence coming up from behind with a jog in his step, after the super HAPPY Agent had decided to keep his eyes forward for a time. The inspector turning his head around a full 180 degrees backwards, commented. "Now seeing that laser you're brandishing, I can see where my guys would make a mistake of thinking you are me. As for what you did to that MAD Agent's gun, I have no clue, but neat trick."

"I can say the same to you MacNeil." Was all Jake could think to say in reply. Non-verbally other thoughts stirred about the other man's demonstration but the analyst knew those thoughts didn't apply here. Seeing a being's head fully turn around like that had him thinking of creatures other than owls. He'd seen many things, he knew emphasis on things, in the employ of RAGE. Some of them could naturally turn their heads around like that. But he knew the HAPPY Agent was human, that was a fact still sinking into Jake's head.

Duh, he'd seen the fact the inspector was a man the moment he'd entered the security office in the San Fan headquarters hub. He knew why the mistake had been made and had even found amusement in it. Interesting in all the years he'd been a cyborg no one had ever thought to call him at least as a partial nickname "gadget". RAGE's Agents had invented some cutting nicknames for him due to his unique physical status. Others that knew what he was but weren't friends, had created less cutting nicknames towards him for the same reasoning. He was the only person he knew of like himself. He'd met people over time who'd benefited from machine enhancements to over come disabilities but their tech wasn't the same. True, when he'd been altered he had a disability then. His left arm while for 17 years of his life had been functioning like most everyone else's. But shortly before he'd suffered the worst stroke of his life in combo to an attack by his own taser used against him, it had ceased to work. It had become neurologically dead due to again another stroke, one he'd hoped his body would never try and top weeks earlier.

When he'd blacked out due to the attack and congenital health disorder kicking in as he saw his first terrifying being of thought just myth. When he'd woken up, being four days later, he had discovered, he'd been changed. The men and women who served JOY in providing science and engineering to it as a further justification to the organization's existence. Nothing for the kids, but something for the government to pick at when they wanted advances that others in the sciences weren't doing elsewhere in their employ. Jake had discovered lead by Myron Fricker, a man he'd most of the time thought nothing of. He had lead those who worked with him to fixing what was wrong with the teen JOY Agent. Further more the bio-technician had gone to town on him also after an approval of sorts had been given from his father.

Dear dad when asked by Myron about could he help his boy further. Otto had replied he wanted his boy not to ever be at any disadvantage to others in his life and he deserved only the best Mr. Fricker could offer. When Jake had woken up to discovering his alterations, he assumed he was still dreaming.

In a groggy state he'd woken up in his hospital room with it's lights set to a dim amber against the walls. His parents were there, asleep near by him and at first feeling pain and discomfort, he thought normal. The monster he'd seen, just a fantasy, a trick in his head, something invented in the attack somehow of the person attacking him and him succumbing to another stroke. The discomfort, it didn't feel quite like it was the result of too much lying in bed. This wasn't normal, his head, his chest, his feet, his hands. His hands! He had feeling in his left arm but it was off. Different, some pain, what was different? How had he regained feeling? That was when he learned holding up his left arm from out underneath the covers of the hospital bed he was different. Freshly ingrained lines in his skin, small bumps he'd never noticed before near by them. What sound he'd made in shock, he couldn't remember now. All he could remember was it was enough to wake his mom, who then had awoken his father. Freda wasn't sure what to say at first but Otto, Jake remembered he'd laid it delicately to him he was better now but he was also now a cyborg.

For over twenty years this status only held to him. Now this person he'd been mistaken for. This guy was like him but different. Another person who protected others and had a complex machine side. The guy had issues but maybe he could look past them. After all he'd convinced the guy to speak with Heather and explain he was a decent person who could be of help on his assignment. Now getting back into the modded '83 Toyota Supra, he felt much better about his chosen task of working with the man. Maybe this Inspector Heyward or otherwise said Inspector Gadget, was someone he could not only work with but really talk to.

Before Jake could enter back into the car, it's one front seat passenger noticing a sizing problem with their coming more added company. He worked some of the buttons built into a panel housing yellow ones, it lining above where a car's normal glove box would be. This car, it's would be glove box now a dual set of unique looking keyboards. Since the indenting lines indicating a glove box existed behind the keyboards. Jake wondered if behind them lay some further depth to the car's computer system that on occasion needed to be accessed from there. What those yellow buttons did, Alan had pressed. They prompted the vehicle to change it's shape.

The sounds that the car made as it moved to expand it's shape into being larger. Jake guessed it's normal occupants likely thought nothing of. They were used to the sounds that to others they'd make the car seem to have something seriously wrong with it. Intriguing to Jake watching the transformation. To the MAD Agent, Mister Finch, it didn't seem so in the same way. Dread, the fact he was wearing long chain handcuffs was probably the main culprit to that. Maybe the guy thought the car was about to do something sinister to him. Villain being forced to enter first at the inspector's wishes, using pushing. The security systems analyst knew without asking why that was. Keep the man away from the door, less chance of him escaping that way.

Penny shifted away from the coming men, without prompt as far as she could towards the hull of the car. Realizing they needed to move too, so did the dogs going towards her. Finch entering first by a forceful shove, he then got pushed in further by the backseat's last to enter passenger. Once John was seated he looked back to see how the MAD Agent and company were doing in his car. Animals organic and inorganic ok, with curiosity towards their wicked new companion beside them. A man who he was starting to take more kindly to since an escapade in the PDL system. When the former JOY Agent had taught him a route to exit from it shortening trip time, a spot he'd failed to notice earlier. That had helped knowing the guy wasn't full of suspected bullshit. Seeing him take on several MAD Agents and defend himself how he did. That was a further respect earner.

Making sure his one blood family member wasn't in arm's reach of the car's one MAD Agent. Penny, the girl may have enjoyed helping him on his missions but she had an unintentional habit of winding up dangerous predicaments with those in MAD's employ. Tech seeing this problem at the same time as inspector. Alan asked, "can I?"

A nod of John's head indicating yes, was the same time the bird shepherd noticed who was in the front of the car. HAPPY's inspector, he knew of course would be present. But the man now activating the function of the sedan which caused a mesh walled cage to come up and down around himself. Enraged Finch shouted, "mister cracked brain with cape! You're here!"

From the start of knowing who was to be taken into custody, the engineer had been mentally preparing for the guest to re-enter his life. Their last meeting had been a silent one of Finch glaring out from his locked hospital room at him as he talked with the police about him. Not wanting to have any more dealings with the Specialized MAD Agent than necessary, Alan replied to him with, "miss me?"

Jesse had been right to suggest about having the holding cage or micro-jail, as a feature of the car as one of it's transformation options. Alan felt safe as Finch screamed at him. "I wish I could have my birds gut you right now!"

Starting the Supra up at the turning of his key to it, John commented. "Guys, I need to be able to drive. Alan, just question him about the disease carrying birds. HAPPY needs to find some safe way to bring them in."

Car in motion and starting to do a wide U-turn to go backwards on the interstate. On to a lane that in time would have them coming back into the PDL system through one of it's unmarked openings near Miles City. Alan removing a thick plastic laptop case, from underneath his seat. To then further after working it's minimal strength locks, removing the computer held inside it to sit on his lap. Switched it on and caught Finch's attention anew.

This was interesting, wasn't it? Finch had to know if his hunch about the machine was right by querying. "Your computer capeman?"

The lightly curled, black haired man wasn't the only curious being present without job reasoning behind it. Strange calico spotted & naugahyde-like white with black spots. Both dogs had taken an interest in Finch which ever since he'd entered the car, and that kept growing in intensity. Not paying the animals any mind the tech answered. "I didn't steal it. Yes, it's mine."

Pawing with claws scratching at the metal mesh of his micro-jail, as the dogs persisted at it, Finch wondered why they found him interesting. When Brain gave a lick to the mesh and bared his teeth hungrily against the steel. The MAD Agent asked to no one in particular, hoping at least one of them would answer. "Why are there two dogs in here?"

Noting what was going on at seeing his pet seeking something from the birdman not visible, Jake said. "G9 and I are inseparable. I have the impression the girl's dog is the same to her."

Computer booted with new file created and awaiting content to be entered into it. Alan turned away from it to glance at the backseat to see the K9 commotion in progress with the captured MAD Agent. Wondering what was going on with the now former aerial based thief, Alan voiced the question of, "are you carrying meat?"

Looking sheepish, Finch answered. "I feel very grateful Blackie isn't in my shirt anymore."

Unfamiliar with the name to it's meaning. Also being aware it was likely the name of an animal due to what little she knew of the man. Penny asked, "Blackie?"

"Pet crow," Finch answered.

Returning his attention back to his computer, Alan requested. "Where are the birds? The ones we need to find. Where are they right now?"

There was no reason to be polite as far as the Specialized Agent was concerned. Despite that fact he withheld the growl he felt the need to voice about the question. He knew why HAPPY was after him. It made sense. But for once god damn it he was innocent! What was it he'd been told by his co-workers? Tell HAPPY nothing. In reply Finch said, "I don't know."

Tapping the keyboard minus the moving being forceful enough to prompt new letters to appear on screen. Alan awaiting a useful response stated and continued with, "if you are honest that might help in court. Where are they?"

Whining was the next thing heard. Not what the engineer wanted to hear or anyone else. The dogs still wanted their prized however not present blackbird. Trying to help the situation since the animals were proving a distraction. Penny then hooked two of her fingers beneath Brain's collar to try and pull him away from what interested him. Voicing softly for him to ignore what he smelled and be good. The pet looked at her with pleading eyes, to then turn to look at the bird shepherd again.

"No," was all Penny could say before Finch burst out at Alan. "Fuck you, I have orders to tell you nothing."

"Then why did they just hand you over." Jake asked before a thought struck him then he voiced aloud. "You aren't behind their movements. Heather, I think she knew this."

A gap in what he currently knew about this situation having light shed on to it from an unexpected source. John had to ask, "what are you talking about?"

Letting out in better elaboration, Jake told his explanation. "This I assume descendant of Sigurd from what I gather of what you've told me of him. They gave him to us just to get us out of their hair. I don't think MAD is behind his plague despite what's been said. My friend was the first person outside Staunton to learn of what was going on. That's how the government stepped in so fast. Her nephew got sick from the filthy little things. Her looking into RAGE. That is why Pops was laughing at me about our captive here!"

Not sure if he should be feeling relief about the words he'd just heard uttered by the man sitting to his side. Grinning was all Finch could think to do at this temporary sign of good fortune. He was off the hook for what people wanted to blame him for. However he still couldn't relay what was going on and was still in HAPPY's custody. The two dogs still showing intense interest in him made him lose his grin but only for a moment. Looking at their instinct driven frenzy, natural and for unknown reason programmed into the other. He remembered he too had a desire which needed satisfaction.

Leaning back into the backseat for a moment only to then spring forward to almost the front of his micro-jail. The MAD Agent snapped, "since I'm not to blame could you at least uncage me back here?! I'm already in cuffs, not like I'm going anywhere!?"

Finding the request unbelievable in nature, Alan started to roll his eyes a little before answering. "Why should we take down the cage? You're still a wanted felon."

Moving forward to try and get a better view again at the engineer's lap, the birdman asked. "Is your computer still out?"

Blinking at what he found an odd question, Alan replied. "Yes, you want to know this why?"

Grateful his handcuffs were long chained, the Specialized MAD Agent rummaged through one of his pockets for what he knew should be there. After finding it, turning his grin into a smile, he said. "Would you guys just let your dogs discover Blackie isn't on me any more, please? No cage means no barrier to hold them back."

Thoroughly not sure how to respond to the man now. Looking over to his friend slash co-worker for advice. John while paying close attention to driving, it not missing his attention a silent question was being asked to him with the tech's gaze in his direction. He nodded yes to the front seat company. Coming close to shaking his head no about the approval, hoping the inspector's judgement could fully be trusted on the matter. Locating the right button that prompted the most minor retraction of the vehicle's reordered interior, on the three rowed keypad after the stick shift. Alan pressed it to force the car to retract the cage back into it's concealments in the ceiling, floor, and the only stand out but non-conspicuous looking seams of the seat cushions.

Never one to let a opportunity pass him by, pressing the wrap his fingers had more firmly over the flash drive he'd located in his pants pocket. Removing the hand gripping it from his pocket, he virtually lept forward into the front compartment of the modded Supra. Ignoring the dogs and fellow humans in distressed panic over this action. Finch swiftly forced the flash drive into a USB port of Alan's laptop.

Frantically and trying his best to control the car after an accidental press on the acceleration pedal, combined with a mistake sharp turn of the steering wheel. John swerved the Gadgetmobile about the interstate. The what luck he had on his side was trained reflexes on handling the vehicle. Something he'd made well sure to do after a short time into his ownership of it. Another car accident was a matter he hoped never to have again due to what he could only fathom as unjustified fear. The other luck on his side was a mostly uncrowded road ahead of him. No one was driving out of Miles City, and those found on the road had come on to it from where West Old Highway 10 crossed over to it. A road that hadn't been hit by bomb explosions earlier in the day.

Trying to push Finch back towards the backseat of the car unsuccessfully, Alan shouted. "What!? What the hell are you doing!?"

"Solving a problem which has been daunting me for months!" The MAD Agent said, not wanting to clear up to the tech what he was doing. That action being quickly working with the HAPPY Agent's laptop to copy and paste the most interesting file folders of it's drive "C" into his plugged in flash drive.

As controlled as he could think to make his actions. The inspector swerved the modded Supra off the interstate and into the wild grasses & weeds of the off road. Nothing hit but dirt and loose particles of chipped away asphalt. The occupants of the Toyota knew this but the car's computer did not. The computer knew from GPS readings the vehicle it served had just with not much control, veered all over the target road it was traveling on. That suddenly making a jackknife turn on to unpaved surfacing it had come to a halt with only a minor slow down of the vehicle's acceleration used in the process. Conclusion. Accident. Airbags should deployed.

The billowing air filled cushions hit everyone. Safety was after all important and that fact was bared in mind when the car was being altered into the high-tech machine it was. The idea that even from out the front seats, their backs, they could deploy airbags. That looked good on paper. Alan now regretted that engineering decision he'd agreed to with his team over the car. If the thing didn't feel somewhat cramped before, it certainly was now. Grateful he could breathe, he wondered with one of the strangest thoughts he'd ever had in his adult life of if this is what it felt like to be in the center of a heated s'more. Marshmallows padding him from what felt every direction. An annoying piece of added flavoring working it's no his way away from lap and from over his body after doing some form of action with his laptop.

Airbags releasing their contents once the car's computer had perceived it had safely kept the passengers of it safe from impact. Everyone being now able to make a better noted evaluation of the car's environment external but more importantly internal. The younger cyborg present and commander of the steering wheel, glared at the happy captive MAD Agent, as did everyone else. Growling, John asked. "Why are you smiling?"

Adding an air of smugness to himself, Finch exclaimed. "Success I believe."

Trying to rescind his look of anger because of it was not meant to be directed at his focus to speech, John requested. "Alan, put the cage back up."

  
Chapter 7:

  
\- EnRAGEed in Los Angeles -

A rogues gallery of mythological beasts were lurking near by her, shadowing her, assuming she knew not of their presence. One misstep by her or one order from their employer and she was done for. Their existence in RAGE's headquarters was something missed only by the uneducated. Heather had been dealing with RAGE for so long, their skulking in trailing her just out of eye sight, was not missed by her. She knew they were there, why they were there. As she made what she knew was the smart decision not to use the nearest elevator which would lead her to the top most floor of the place. Out the side of her eye, glancing at the 58 year ago who ran the place, Doctor Kein Hunter commented in a growl. "We aren't doing anything wrong. You have no business here."

Waving him off she replied, "I've heard that before."

Locating a stairwell at almost the end of the hall, the Secret Service Agent strode towards it. The dark creatures ready for her throat displeased following her and their boss, trying to keep up with her. Even through she knew what was near her, unnatural predators that paled the danger presented by their non-magical equivalence. Fighting skills aside, she felt the need to reassure herself she could handle them. She casually made one her hands brush up against her business jacket. She wanted to feel her butterfly knife present in it's interior placed pocket.

Already on the eighth floor of the conjoined building, it's furthest back internally confined skyscraper to Olive Street. She knew she wasn't far away from the mixing room on the tenth floor as she started her climb up the stairs once she'd arrived at them. None too pleased in realizing where she must be headed towards. Doctor Hunter kept his cursing about that to himself. He wasn't in a real position to stop her, at least not yet.

If he stopped her with the accusation she was holding over him, that would only appear as incriminating to those that kept a watch on him and his business. RAGE had done many things over the years she, local law enforcement, and some others in government service weren't fond of. Inflecting and killing at what felt pure random from what he knew was taking place in Virginia & Pennsylvania. That was not his style with RAGE. Once upon a time when his organization was essentially ran by his ex-wife. She might have done such a thing for the fun of it. Today even years out from what had been a messy divorce getting rid of her. He was still suffering from her actions. Heather Tabin & the rest of the world that knew what RAGE truly was had their own reasoning not to trust him and what he represented. More time in court, more lawyers to defend against that unjust reasoning. He just didn't want to deal with that right now.

When the former JOY Agent was about to enter into the mixing room, Doctor Hunter stopped her with use of minor force as she held on to the door's handle. One of his hands cupping over hers, a question that had been plaguing his mind since she'd shown up to try and uncover evidence he & his employees were doing wrong for which he knew they weren't to blame. He asked, "where is your other half?"

Removing the leader to the organization's hand off hers and forcing the door handle to the proper position for letting her move forward into the mixing room. She told him, "Jake is away helping HAPPY with some business right now."

"I knew it! I knew guy had some connection to you!" Hunter exclaimed, in proud excitement.

Stunned, Heather didn't know what to make of his out burst. At least it wasn't an out burst made in anger at her. That she was used to. To which guy the man was referring to. She didn't know but the mistake that had just recently been made towards her life time best friend. That was something to wonder about but another time. Right now what was important was discovering what Hunter had cooking up in the mixing room currently.

A room devoted towards the creation of components for spells. Small herb garden beds and large glass windowed skylights. Controlled fires burning in shadowed areas. Water flowing from a mid-air hovering waterfall that showed not where it was coming from. It provided then to a stream running the length of the place, feeding the plants it shared space with. Never would Agent Heather think to find such a place any where else in the world. If such another place existed, she knew just from experience dealing with the only extremely vocal magic practitioners she knew. The owners to that other place would have to be looked into the same way she now felt she needed to look into the enchanted waterfall.

It's invisible source being a tad unsettling to her. Not knowing from whence it was coming. Pure nothingness? Another realm? Elsewhere in the world and maybe just maybe a polluted source? A diseased source? Before having entered RAGE's headquarters she'd thought to make one stop before coming there once her matters of personal business had been taken care of. She'd visited the first temp agency she had located as nearest to her location and had taken advantage of it. It's employees while obliging to her odd request in silence, she was sure that had stopped when she left their presence. She knew her asking of them if she could have one of their clean urine test collection jars as not a common thing.

Unscrewing the cap off it, she walked over to the waterfall to collect some of it's what seemed like ever gracious bounty of water. Feeling the woman had now gone one step too far into her investigation of his source of employment. One of the dark creatures who'd been keeping his mild distance from her, decided he'd had enough and made his presence known to her.

Dashing out from complete hiding of the government agent's view. A Boggart about a foot and a half tall wearing poorly devised clothes, grabbed from it's loopholed to pants, scabbard, a short dagger he liked carrying. Jumping on to a rock near by the woman, it just large enough to act as a full surface to his size. He spoke in his tongue, threatening & waving his weapon as he did so, using the sharp blade to try and make his words more pointed as it were towards her.

This Boggart's hostile personality was nothing new to Heather even through this particular Boggart was new to her. The whole species from what she'd met of them weren't friendly. She knew in their Brownie form it was quite the reverse from what she'd read of that. But RAGE had no real interest in Brownies being around. They weren't prone to harming people. The creature's enraged chittering squirrel-like language that while being something she'd heard before. After the all her encounters with fellows same as him, she still had no better understanding of it now as when she'd first heard it. But it's meaning was clear and even though verbally she didn't know how to respond to him in his language, she knew a universal way to reply to him.

Grabbing out her butterfly knife after she'd set it down by the urine test collection jar. After filling the small vessel with water, she waved the knife in his face. While the dark creature looked over her knife, deciding she guessed if he thought it was a real threat or not. Doctor Hunter asked, having observed her water collecting. "You think that's poisonous?"

"Knowing you it could be." The former JOY Agent answered, as the Boggart interrupted, with some form of glee to ask a question."Ch-ch-ch Qrik ch-ch-ch sis sis! Tu-tu-tu cee?!"

Holding her knife in place, in front of the dark beast, Heather stared at him wondering if what he'd just uttered was relevant to her discussion with his boss. Turning to face RAGE's leader, with the assumption he understood what the being had said. Kein feeling she deserved some small courtesy about the alien to her tongue being used on her, interpreted the Boggart's speech into English.

"He wants to hold your knife to look it over. It's a good knife in his opinion."

Surprised about the translation in mild disbelief, Heather shook her head and directing her attention to the petite menace, said. "Not a chance."

The government agent's language barrier aside, the creature knew what she had just said and as the result took on a grumpy demeanor towards her. His look of disgust changing when he heard new sounds emanating from her direction. Her cellphone going off with selected musical notes indicating who was calling her.

Sensing a chance to please his boss, figuring out with ease by way of sound and show of the object's bulk in Heather's outside right jacket pocket where her phone was. In a flash He leaped up on to her pant leg and climbed up to grab the cellphone out from it's concealment. Annoyed about the sudden theft of her gadget and surprised a little the creature had not tried to take away her knife. She was too slow to stop the Boggart in it's actions as it then leapt off her and ran up on to Doctor Hunter's shoulders to hand him the device. The cell still ringing as the man in charge of the place she was in, hit the virtual answer button on it's screen, to then say into it. "Hello?"

New anger present but lucky to him from afar, Jake snapped at him from out the phone's speaker. "What are you doing with Heather's phone!?"

The former mountain town man sometimes enjoyed getting on the cyborg's bad side. Holding his friend's cellphone and knowing he'd not been the one to take it from the woman. Not to blame for her misfortune for once, Hunter said. "It got handed to me by one of my loyal employees. Don't worry, she hasn't been harmed yet."

Figuring the man likely was just curious if RAGE was involved with the events on the east coast states that had starting gaining news story attention. Undeserved blame, nothing new for the pair to lay on him and those he worked with. But to be fair most of the time the former JOY Agents were right in their blame game. Kein stated, "no one here at RAGE is responsible for this sickness being called the Hell Mist Dice Disease and quite frankly I know beings from a few hells who would find that name offensive."

"Give her back her phone, Hunter!" Jake then demanded, his shout so forceful, RAGE's leader was grateful the cell wasn't near his ear for it.

"No," Doctor Hunter replied, wishing the analyst could see the smirk he was wearing while saying the single word.

Conformation to a guess Kein had about the conversation he was having with an enemy of his not in the same room as him. Jake having made the demand of, "put this on speaker!" Told him the other man wasn't truly listening to everything on his end. Wanting to test the man's hearing, Doctor Hunter queried, "can you hear the waterfall in the background Anatech?"

"I can hear something beyond your voice." Jake replied, sounding wary as he spoke.

Prideful about the acknowledgement but still wanting to rub it in the younger man's face. Hunter commented, "You're on speaker cyberpunk. She is hearing all of this."

Bored and knowing he served no purpose planted on his boss, the Boggart sprung down off him. The act almost causing a reflexive cringing reaction from the man. Years of his ex-wife's imp companions climbing him on occasion to try and flee her reach in fear of being struck. The two purple reptile-like creatures both having fully clawed hands and feet. He'd gotten used to with sadness them causing superficial to deep abrasions, going so deep into him they reached his muscles. Kein was grateful Boggarts had no claws on their feet and only had stubby ones of their fingers.

After a pause the security systems analyst asked, "Heather?"

"Except normal threats coming from demonic and ill tempered creatures, nothing much has happened over here Jake." The Secret Service Agent said, before in almost growling under her breath further words about her cell phone being stolen.

Either not hearing her further commenting or it sounding to him like the undiscernible sounds coming from the splashing of the waterfall. Jake let forth with what was on his mind. What he'd wanted to say before the group conversation had truly started. "Heather, I'm with that inspector and those he travels with. We've got this MAD Agent with us we all thought was controlling the birds connected to that Hell Mist plague. Turns out no, he's nothing to do with it. Although it's odd the guy doesn't seem connected to RAGE. Listen we both know RAGE has to be what's behind this. That's why you're there right now. I don't believe Doctor Hunter. Tell me what you've found out."

Looking at her water filled urine test collection jar, after letting out a sigh, she said. "Unless this mystic water I've collected turns up showing something connected to that virus, I've got nothing. I'm in the mixing room. I've already checked out every other corner of this place I'd think these guys would be concocting a deadly spell of that sort in. No result but plenty of potential evidence to other crimes."

Shifting the conversation out of itching curiosity, Doctor Hunter asked towards the phone. "Anatech, I heard you say you're with an inspector, that you're in the presence of HAPPY Agents. That inspector, the guy's name wouldn't happen to be Heyward would it?"

Taken aback the senior had nailed such a guess without any indication who the inspector was, Jake answered. "How'd you know?"

"No bad opinion of him, but given you two are alike in a sense this doesn't shock me," Kein replied.

That revelation of how he related to HAPPY's special agent aside. Not wanting to dwell on it because other matters needed to be addressed with RAGE's leader. Jake snapped, "Hunter, Heather and I have strong reason to suspect you are behind this despite claim by MAD and a gremlin. Fess up!"

"I've never had a desire to control birds to spread a disease. I don't have descendants of Sigurd or Democritus with me. Anatech, the only thing I have on me at RAGE which could sway birds to go where I'd want them to go is something we have hidden here meant for no one's usage except in emergencies!" Doctor Hunter said, wishing the former JOY Agent on the other end of the phone could see his face turning red. It was a to match his mood, which incidentally in acronym was his organization's name.

Science used? True RAGE did use it but more sparingly than magic. Very much intrigued, Jake queried. "What's that?

"Iron, microchip brain!" Hunter responded, shouting into the cellphone.

Noting nothing but the sound of silence coming from the end of the conversation unseen, in reaction to his statement. RAGE's formal founder asked, "did that catch you off guard magnet man?! I do know science as well if you recall, not just magic! How do you think birds know compass arrows minus being able to read them!?"

Due to the high tension present, Heather had almost forgotten the smartphone in use was hers. Stolen and wanting it back, she started moving towards RAGE's leader. Diminutive loyal employee present, willing to show his boss what more he could do. The Boggart moved to get between the government agent and who he served.

Trying to kick the dark creature wasn't helping her in dealing with him. The Boggart was naturally fast and whatever he didn't duck or dodge, he'd mock. Grabbing her kicking foot more than once, he in his idea of proper communication. He'd stick out his tongue at her, try to present her with a gesture he couldn't actually accomplish. The use of a middle digit on his hand. An impossible feat to do only having three fingers to each hand. His last way of mocking her was what finally drove her to take more aggressive action on him. That last straw being him with a fang filled mouth smiling at her broadly. Lifting one of his slime covered feet for a moment to show her why it was so hard to move him even with her trying to exude force to punt him. The grossness they seemed to convey telling her the creature naturally produced his own form of adhesive for such matters. Making her knife gripping hand white knuckled, she threw it down towards the beast, stabbing her weapon into his foot still planted to the ground.

Snatching her phone from Doctor Hunter's hand, she then spoke towards it's receiver. "Jake, do you think we can combat this? Get the birds to swoon how we want them to? If this really is a matter of science surely something can be done?"

Knowing her friend as well as she did. The Secret Service Agent could easily imagine the man pacing around as he gave his answer. "I consider my electromagnets pretty powerful but they weren't designed or even have been modified to reach out at a long distance to influence things. We'd need some kind of device which could send out a new temporarily magnetic field. Have our own way to get to the animals to tell them it's cold, move to a new location."

"Could an EMP blast be changed do that?" Came an unknown voice over the phone a few moments later. One of the HAPPY Agents she guessed figuring likely the MAD Agent with them wouldn't try to say something helpful in suggestion. Although damn she thought. Not a solution she'd think of or ever want to try and implement.

"You think we should make a nuclear explosion!?" That shouting comment had come from a voice she did know. Jake was apparently as stunned as she was over the unorthodox idea.

Again the unknown voice spoke in reply. "No, I'm proposing John."

"He can create a nuclear explosion?!" Flabbergasted by the notion a person could be used to create a nuclear detonation. Jake's reaction in how he sounded, Heather felt the same exact way but quickly brushed aside the idea the other cyborg could do such a thing. Surely the unknown person meant something different than how it sounded. Then again HAPPY had really good resources which made her shutter at the thoughts of what they could do. Very wrong dark things, she thought best not to think about.

Trying to take her mind away from what HAPPY could possibly do. She bent down and removed her butterfly knife from the Boggart's foot. The little creature falling backwards limply on to the ground in relief to the sharp object being removed from him, as the unknown voice proceeded to clarify his words. "No, but he can create EMP pulses. Can a changed EMP blast influence these birds?"

The idea a sworn enemy might actually have something helpful to provide. Heather couldn't believe what thoughts were starting to go thought her head as she looked at Doctor Hunter while her friend answered. "Yes, I think."

New revulsion gathering in him due to his nemesis looking to him in such a way he wasn't sure what it meant. Kein bitterly asked, "what is wrong with you now?!"

Taking a breath and then puffing it out in a long stream, after which Heather told the RAGE representative. "I know you've meddled with other realms before. Could you open a doorway into one of them to send the birds?"

The reaction this provoked in the old man wasn't what she was hoping for. Although still it wasn't a large surprise. Sliding one hand over the hair on the top of his head and clenching his teeth together with forming a grimace on his face. Doctor Hunter said, "I want nothing to do with other realms right now. Here we've been trying to establish a proper gateway to the mortal realms for about three years. Until that happens, nada on those. As for realms meant for the magical and mythological, for now that is in the past!"

If Jake still remembered the smartphone was on speaker for the conversation being held, this wasn't a clear thing as he commented. "Forever the putz."

Trying to take the government agent's phone away from her without success. Still enraged by the words given by the former JOY Agent not present. Hunter getting as close to the cellphone as she'd let him, yelled into it. "I heard that, Anatech! Listen you rotten Apple, remember I said I knew beings who would find the name Hell Mist Dice Disease offensive!? If what you two were told is right that a hell was involved in this. I think I know of some demons who might want to clear their good names of this. Since there hasn't been mention of a cure being used for it, they could make one. I can order them to do that!"

Silence came as Jake's reply to the man he couldn't see but certainly had just heard. That pleased Doctor Hunter as he backed away from the Secret Service Agent. A few feet away from her he then asked snipping. "Does that help?"

Nodding Heather replied, "yes."

\- The Prairie Pyramid -

Having only six new members to their gang felt like at least for the moment it was a good thing. They were the wanted extra help and so far they'd all proven themselves worthy of being in the group. What didn't feel good about it was the nearly four hour drive of them, plus the three founding people of the gang and two large pets owned by one of those people. Them all sharing the same confined space for travel.

Guiding the mini-van's current owner to where he and Terry had parked the last time they'd been at the government property. Louis directed Annie to park beside the furthest away from pyramid, missile silo, there. His logic as he noted it to her, no one appeared to have spotted their own car there the last time they'd visited the place. Shortly after every one had exited the van, that was discovered untrue. They'd been discovered but by who was a minor mystery.

Neither former MAD Agent had wanted to be spotted by those currently employed by MAD, also those working for the government. To make their way inside the pyramid, when coming to the abandoned military project, as both men tried to formulate a plan. An at first over looked solution presented it's self as they moved about. It wasn't something either man had thought about in the beginning but both when seeing it, it became a vital asset to them when looked into. What they hadn't seen at first was an emergency tornado measure. They had not had it cross their minds much in years, having lived inside Mt. Everfrost for the longest time about these things. A storm cellar with just it's doors peeking above the ground.

Terry in a bet without money, had figured right about the storm cellar. It was more than it appeared to be. It not only was an underground room, it also had a long tunnel connected to it. So long it led into the pyramid. A great arrangement if a cyclone were brewing outside and one wanted to get the work fast without getting hurt.

After walking over to where current MAD Agents and government employees were parked. A lesson given about how to spot a vehicle owned by MAD was done in the light of the late afternoon sun. This teaching of observation being pointing out how license plates looked for MAD cars. A special transparent reflective coating, which when struck by a camera flash, rendered the surface blank to photographed images. Demonstrated by way of cellphone picture taking for a quick revealing truth to the new gang members. This completed, seeing the storm cellar with tunnel, locked up with a chain running through & around it's door handles, inhibiting the entrance. None of the former MAD Agents knew who'd barred their sneak entrance.

Prepared, a note the former MAD Agents didn't know at first. Salvatore, was ready for such an eventuality. Removing heavy duty wire cutters from a small backpack he had, he made fast work of removing the chain from the storm cellar door. If he was a suck up or simply a polite thug, this was a fact about him Annie knew in time she, Terry, and Louis would eventually discover. The prepared grunt after doing the favor then proceeded to hold open one of the storm cellar doors to motion her to pass through first. Stepping aside himself to allow her unobscured passage to the below ground room & path. She looked at him to signal her gratitude to him with an approving nod, least not she reveal what she wondered about him.

The actual shelter room wasn't very large, a fact which wasn't a problem with how everyone made their way into it to then pass way into the tunnel beyond it. That happening after the new gang members were assured no security cameras existed in the coming passage. Added plus, likely no one had set up ones in such a brief time as gap to when two leads of the group had last been there. The tunnel not far into it, widened to a width which could easily accommodate a small crowd of people disjointedly lined up to move through it. In it's lighting of mainly active light bulbs nested into the ceiling of the pathway. Concern came to the group as they noticed they were missing a relevant note come to figurative light as it were. A smell peeking the interest of the jaguar with them. Spencer knew of something up head but what?

Spotted predator in hunter slink mode, body motion and whiffing of air noted by his obsidian coated partner. Both cats were now ready for either prey or threat, whichever awaited them at the end of the tunnel. In a whisper, Pearl openly asked. "Can those two be stopped if they're on to someone or thing?"

"For me for the most part, yes. Not for any of you." Amazon Annie responded, as she started paying closer attention to her pets' body language.

Moving closer to his girlfriend, Terry told the former Specialized Agent. "You should keep the cats at bay in case they strike the wrong person."

"True," Annie replied, before adding. "Government employees, they are ok to kill. MAD Agents, that all depends on who. Those two can be very messy eaters, and what if they killed the MAD Agent with all the money? They've eaten money and other things not food before. I don't want to explain their stomach contents to a vet. Not right now."

A fact that struck her as she finished saying her last words, now feeling essential to conversation. She didn't know Pearl or the rest of her new company well at all. Maybe, "do you or any of you have veterinary training?" Annie asked, glancing back at the group following her lead.

Pearl answered in saying no, and the others of non-former MAD employees, replied similar answers. That taken into account, the red and yellow clothes favoring woman released sigh and snapped her fingers to get her pets' attention. Both jungle cats without stopping in their slinking movements forward, slowed down, and looked at her after they'd heard the snapping command sound. They had acknowledgment for her and knew what the snap sound command meant. To feline translation it meant: "Slow down. I'm in charge. Not You. No kill unless I say."

Government employees Annie guessed. She got conformation from Terry and Louis, once they too caught sight of the men standing not far away from the passageway they were standing in, peeking from. The two men as had been documented who was there, at least who had appeared to them on the security monitors they'd watched on their last visit to the place. The former grunts had encountered every MAD Agent present noted in the Safeguard Program building before they had left the organization. Their only mystery person, not here at present to be seen.

The government staff could be identified easily. Dress shirts, all the same two colors of either lite blue or lite gray. Dress pants always in black. Men and women all in the same conforming conservative attire. The ones near the tunnel that at it's start was a storm cellar. These two men to either side of the passage by a few feet. Likely one of them was responsible for the lock and chain that had to be done away with earlier.

Giving silent commands to the cats and a whisper into Terry's nearest ear to her. Annie told them all she approved of attack in this case. She'd get one, Dala with her. The former Elite MAD Agent would get one too, his company being Spencer. When Louis noted about the quartet of humans and animals advancing. This annoyed him that he had not been let into the action. Checking on his new teammates, he saw the reaction wasn't mutual. The newly recruited gang members seemed to accept it. Eager sponges he thought. The only thing wrong with that was they were in the tunnel. That meant they likely wouldn't get to see any of the action for their growing new knowledge of how to take care of unwanted anomalous people on their ventures.

\-----

"I wonder if we're going to see any of it?" The man standing like he'd been stationed to the right of the tunnel's entrance, asked pretty much to himself.

While his company on the job knew how the question had come out, he knew he could take up the question as a prompt. Moving from the thick railing that prevented one from falling into the reverse depth of the pyramid's interior. That looking like a hole punch of what towered over their heads of the structure's higher levels. The government employee on the left side of the tunnel's entrance, said with some despair. "I doubt it. I think it will likely get shuffled into some odd corner of the military's budget."

Considering where they worked, an establishment only local natives seemed to ever really take note of and not much the world at large. The first to bring this line of debate, replied. "This is an odd corner of the military. We only work here since the pentagon through forgetfulness keeps paying us to keep it safe. There is nothing here of value to those above us."

"Thank you for the emotional support about my status in life, dog face." The man who'd just returned to having less vertigo inducing views away from the railing, grumbled. As he glared at his work buddy for a moment before facing outwards.

Alert for anything unexpected. The woman catching his attention emerging from the tunnel wasn't an image on his mental list of stereotype intruders he had thought might come through it. Standing on the right of the long exit from the pyramid. He was wondering if what he was seeing was quite right although better put was she a sign he was unwittingly daydreaming due to the fatigue of a long shift. The woman looked like a model. She'd be in a place like this why?

Her expression looked wiley and he knew she wanted something. Of all things it appeared to be from him, but what? Before he could ask after he'd moved his jaw around trying to figure out what to say. She made sure he couldn't say anything. Going right up to him, she'd taken on a devious expression and placed one of her hands tightly over his mouth. Looking at her face closely he wondered what she had in mind about him until the pain started.

One hand over his mouth and another holding him in place against the wall. Clawed paws and sharp fangs had found their way on to him. Struggling against her, he tried to scream and wondered why his co-worker wasn't coming to his aid? Why even working for an odd corner of the military. Why didn't he have a gun on him to defend himself!? As the pain got worse, his vision darkened and with what little weakening strength he had, he managed to be able to catch sight his work associate. His partner was now slumped against the wall having been placed there from a red stained trail on it from what was his fullest height. A large cat now nipping at one of his arms while a tall man stood over him.

\-----

The formality of it rubbed the internal labor worker for MAD in the wrong way. Yegar Burssitch's normal job duties excluded things like being MAD's face when traveling to greet recruits. Learning of bugs in obtaining them and either getting them to go away without trouble. Or if they caused trouble, to call in other MAD Agents to stop that trouble forever. Dealing with the government was new territory for him socially. He'd heard others say how they liked all their "I"s dotted and "T"s crossed. How they liked their paperwork. The big piles of paperwork. Yegar couldn't believe the pile he saw the foremost man who represented the pyramid's ownership, pull out from his briefcase. To the internal laborer, it looked like what he imagined his papers for tax filing would look like if he ever cared to do them.

Mister Charest after setting down the paperwork in front of him on the desk before him, which took up a majority of the room. Wanting to see if the person whom he had to have legal dealings with, more than his co-workers present. If he was ready to truly begin the changing hands of property ownership, Jaxon Charest looked at him. Noting the company representative's actions, Mr. Charest wasn't sure what to make of them. They made him wish he could read lips, as the man seemed to mouth to one of his associates to keep this thoughts at bay. To whatever those thoughts were, the man he was mouthing the words to, looked displeased. Three men. One that acted like he was keeping something about this unsaid. One displeased, and making the government employee wonder what job function he served to the proceeding. Either a witness like how he'd brought one a long or a lawyer to help verbally untangle the technical term wording in the paperwork needing attention. One more present as well, this a lady that was watching him back with an expression on her face that spoke of no visible emotions about her environment. Her job? Her job had to be one of the two, he'd guessed about the aggravated man.

Tempted to remove a pen in his pocket for things to get fully underway. Blushing the shirt pocket with one hand, Jaxon asked. "Again sir, why is your company interested in purchasing this property? Surely not, and Homeland Security would have me fired for this on the lightest of guesses. Surely not for firing off missile based weaponry?"

Ready to speak, the emotionless looking lady was ready to before being hit in the side by her equally mysterious male co-worker. Yegar hoped that went unnoticed but seeing the look on Mr. Charest's face change with his attention on the pair behind him, he knew the man had seen it. Not in line with the question he'd just presented but definitely a conversational follow up. Jaxon mentioned, "the US government still retains the right to monitor what takes place at it's former property for national security reasons. The surveillance system here which is outdated will be replaced by a newer system. If the sale happens, the new one will be installed within the next week."

Feeling pride in work experience, the man who had hit his comrade, commented. "We can handle being around surveillance cameras."

Lesser experienced in such things, the lady who had received the hit, actually showing concern on her face. Gave the fellow MAD Agent an unsure questioning look for his comment about knowing what to do around surveillance cameras. When he saw the look, this time having no urge to silence her. For this was over a matter he knew she surely had the better sense not to speak up on. He in reply to her with one hand made snipping motions with his fingers to indicate using scissors.

Again their actions not missing his attention, Jaxon then repeated. "Why is your company interested in purchasing this property?"

Wanting to defend MAD's interest in the property without hopefully raising any more questions. A speech already prepared just in case that event ever arose, Yegar said. "Managing Astonishments Development, is devoted to testing and creating amusement park rides, Mr. Charest. Remember if we purchase this place it will hopefully one day be known for creating amusements for children and adults rather than being a place which has stood for decades as a show of cold war fear & paranoia. Wouldn't that be a better label for it's use?"

Once letting the man's really words sink in, Mister Charest felt the need deeply to say what was on his mind now. "I'm grateful all the missiles got removed years ago. Further more I have a six year old I don't want to be glowing after she visits Bushy Fields for her birthday coming up."

Finally removing his pen from shirt pocket, the government employee stated as he handed the writing instrument over to Yegar. "Clearly sign and print your name, plus include today's date as well on the forms."

Inwardly groaning since he knew for this juncture he'd be using poor etiquette to do it outwardly. The internal laborer asked, "all of them?"

What a representative of his company. The man should have seen such a thing coming. Everything in this world has attached paperwork to it. Added still, most everything needs also documented signatures saying it had been reviewed and approved of. Resting at bay the urge to give an eye roll to Mr. Burssitch, Jaxon told him. "Most of them. What pages you aren't required to sign, you'll have to read over first."

\-----

The more possible danger. The lady he'd first seen on the security monitor and guessed to be a new Specialized Agent to MAD. Louis seeing her for the first time in color since the old monitor had been black & white monotoned. He saw a factor about her that now struck him. While he didn't know who she was, she in her presentation now looked oddly familiar. Her eccentric clothes that while not matching garb worn by anyone he'd ever known. The color choices she'd made when cobbling them together. The strange symbol on the shoulder length cape, depicting what almost looked like a pi symbol with fangs branching off of it. Her oddly hued skin. A warning alarm started sounding off in his head as he grabbed Moses. The former grunt ventured towards her with his company, without showing his hesitation about it.

"Tell me are you one of Managing Astonishments Development's staff because you sure don't look government suit. I'm sure you are a Specialized Agent. What is your job here? Removing trash?" Louis asked her, not to far away from her.

He and his company had not been noticed by her until those verbalizations had been made. She'd been tending to mid-air as far as the former MAD Agents and newly acquired help saw it. Bonkers? That guess rang through all their minds about her as she petted nothingness. Annie had a different bet about the woman's sanity once she had turned her attention on to Louis and Moses. The unknown lady's glasses, their duo coloring. That had to mean something and the survival expert guessed the lady saw something there, she couldn't. With where in the air she'd been making stroking motions, whatever it was she saw, it had to be big.

As if evaluating a potential object of prey, Annie noted. The unknown woman spoke to the former grunt worker heading towards her. "You look familiar."

Not wanting to speak on a hunch he had. Louis replied to her, releasing Moses from his grip, sure the man knew by this point he had a job to do with him if needed. "Why is that?"

A new warning alarm sounded in his head as she started glaring at him. Let's see he thought. Maybe around 130 pounds at nearing six feet in height at a guess? Light weight for him to take on in a fight. Her look, if she thought she could take him. So much for him feeling a sense of worry. But still his unfortunate feeling without knowing a name, he knew how MAD had gotten her services.

Stopping at a distance from her which was close to her but didn't violate eithers' personal space. He queried, "why are you glaring at me?"

"A photo that's where I've seen you." The lady MAD Agent answered. The former lady MAD Agent watching, having a surge of adrenaline spike through her at it. Annie could read people as if they were the predatory animals she kept in her company. This lady, Amazon Annie knew was getting ready to strike at her quarry.

Old business, but not business forgotten by MAD. She'd been informed of him. How he could react to that could go in a couple of ways. Choosing either to insult her intelligence and maybe provoke a fight. The latter, something Louis looked forward to. Good test to see what this new MAD Agent was made out of. Choosing an odd variant on option one although, he asked her, "good photo or bad photo?"

Sending him daggers with her eyes, the lady answered. "You're wanted dead."

Making light of his name not actually being said by the suspect Specialized Agent. Wanting to know what her name was, Louis requested. "Wanted Dead and your name is?"

Balling her fists and stepping to one side by a few feet for no apparent reason. The lady looked ready to blow her top when she replied. "Petra Veromist, being a goon I'm sure you did work under one of my cousins at some point. Since he isn't around anymore. I feel it's my job to do MAD a favor here and eliminate you."

Ready to defend his boss or at least assumed boss. Moses wasn't sure who actually held the reins of power to the newly formed gang he was in. Still better to keep the most intimidating looking member of the three founders alive than let him be killed. Drawing nearer to Louis, he commented about the woman who had just revealed her name. His visual attention focused on her as he spoke. "Concealed weapon cause I don't see what makes you so threatening."

"That's what makes me threatening. It's what you don't see." She stated, taking on a devious look to her face that mixed with the clear rage she was displaying made for a new scare factor to all. When she started talking again, this time starting her new words looking at the blank area to her side in the air. Annie's guess about that unseen factor grew as she gripped her spear ready to put it to use.

"Tarasoptwire, command D slash 1011 slash X!"

Having not foreseen the form of danger the Specialized Agent had at her command. The invisible robotic tentacles grabbing a hold of the former grunt and his new work associate, caught them both by surprise. Being lifted into the air and squeezed like a lemon held by an anaconda. Moses burst out with what could he thought conceivably be his last words before possibly having his bones crushed and organs subject to internal bleeding. "It's a good thing you said with MAD to expect the most improbable worst! Invisible shit! A ghost!"

Both of her pets appearing wigged out and unsure what to do. Amazon Annie scowled at the cats, feeling they should know better than to think such a thing as ghosts being real. While the MAD Agent stated with disdain, "robot halfwit."

Lead by Terry, revealing his very personal firearm, spraying out it's destructive energy. His new colleagues still getting used to the idea of seeing the high-tech weapon. Those among them carrying guns then took to repeating his action, attacking but in a more ordinary fashion than former Elite Agent. His action being opening fire on the position of the robot he guessed to be somewhere in between the two struggling men, it was thrashing about. His gut in a knot, shooting at the unseen thing. It's presence reminded him of what he'd been last confronted with when in MAD's last true headquarters. Invisible people or what had once been people or people that could be seen sometimes but looking strange when they did. This robotic whatever it was, was a pure product of man by MAD. But since when did MAD fiddle with making things unseen on purpose?! He'd have time to dwell on that thought when his pals weren't in danger. For now he'd have to try to disable the inorganic brute and try find a way to deal with it's commander.

Running away from the barrage of gun and energy canon fire being directed at her artificial pet. Petra decided to hide from it in the entrance way to an office that's use had long passed for it's reason to be. Daring to look further at how her mechanical monster was handling it's orders and dealing with the assault being directed at it. She saw it's adapting photo-sensitive neuro-speed plating getting damaged slowly but still not effecting it's movements. The false creature was slowly becoming more visible to it's attackers.

It's left tentacle pinned against it's larger horn on it's snout, the still alive body of the wanted former MAD Agent sandwiched in between the two, holding on for dear life. It's right tentacle losing it's squeeze hold on the unknown man who'd been by the side of the former grunt worker. The reasoning behind that action she guessed had do to the mild AI programming Tarasoptwire had in it. It's second ordered target wasn't firing a weapon at it. Petra admired the man's guts at what he was doing. The unknown company to the former MAD Agent, was bronc riding her robot, gripping it's outer most protective armor on it's minor spikes. The tentacle now retracting away from him, she figured was getting ready to strike at the targets trying to destroy it. One target she noted had no interest in it but was more interested in her, coming for her.

Moving completely into the old office room, she grabbed out her phone to make a quick call. Her human company needed to know what was going on. Speed dial helped that and being able to speak intelligibly at a fast rate as well helped at this moment. If she hadn't done so, her call would have been for not.

A spearhead pointed into the area of her back where her shoulder blades parted. This stopped her speaking into her cellphone abruptly. The one target who'd taken an interest in her, she was now behind her. She felt grateful she'd been able to deliver her message at least. Turning around slowly to face that target. The spearhead of the lady's weapon never parting from it's pressure against her. As the roughly shaped piece of metal slipped from her short cape to her zippered long sleeve jacket, more noticed on the front of her body. Seeing the target who was interested in her, upon closer distance to her. She felt a greater fire of anger beginning to erupt in her at seeing the woman holding the long weapon at her.

"Who were you contacting? MAD here or else where?" Annie asked, knowing what either contact could mean to her and her shared companions' goal. MAD's presence here meaning they'd all have to act on their job more quickly than at first planned. The MAD Agents not here. Or at least thought not to be here at last check. They'd be too large a problem for her gang in it's current state. Aborting their plan of action was all the gang could do in that case. That is unless one or more of the new gang members had an ace up their sleeve, she didn't know of for handling combat trained MAD Agents.

Acting as if she wanted to destroy her phone in how she was gripping it. Petra, resisting the urge to scream. Taking to using the most controlled aggressive toning she could at normal volume, asked. "Was it you or your lover?

Confused by the question, the former Specialized Agent asked back. "What are you talking about?

"My cousin, my closest cousin. A deactivated snake wrapped around his body, mainly his neck. Wounds all over him, making him look as if he'd been used for a pincushion. A broken glass bottle shoved into his mouth. You or the former Elite, I see trying to take on my Tarasoptwire?" The Specialized Agent snapped out with words Annie now knew really deserved the venomous quality of their tone.

The revelation who she was related to didn't shake the former MAD Agent in fear. What it did do to shake her was give her something to think about. A new depth her old employer would go to when seeking out new staff. Petra Veromist was related to Povel Veromist. A woman hired not only for what she bring to the table to help MAD which was normal. But also added into their fold because she wanted personal revenge against former MAD operatives, that wasn't normal. Annie thinking about that couldn't pull up a single example in her memory of a hire who'd come into MAD that way.

Her connection to the man Annie had killed, should have hit the former MAD Agent the moment she'd said her name. Her robotic serpent wrangling relative not being foremost in thoughts of the moment. Instead a grand heist in progress with new company in training to help form a gang that some day might rival MAD. Those two combined Annie admitted to herself, those factors were a good excuse on her memory lapse. Since when had she ever in her life been in a similar position?

"Professor Venom never spoke much of his family, you're news to me," Annie admitted aloud.

In a borderline way of speaking like her deceased cousin. The former Specialized Agent got shocked by the near hiss present in how Specialized Agent spoke next. If Terry was in earshot, she was sure he'd likely be offended. "Yoou or the machine maan! Which one of yoou!?"

Answering the woman truthfully really was a matter she'd rather put off. She knew she was guilty. She had no intent on lying to the woman. The MAD Agent before her was no where near being a representative of law enforcement, so it didn't bother Annie if she knew. What made her think on when was the right time to tell the lady. That had to do with the major brawl going on. The spectacle of the battle being fought, with the rest of the gang and the lady's growing more visible mechanical monster. So much damage had been inflicted to it, the lady warrior could now make out a telling amount of detail to it. The false beast being the size of a baby elephant at least. Armored like a bug, mouth like a bug with pinchers. Head shaped roughly like a rhinoceros, horns included. But also with long tentacles coming out to either side just beyond the mouth.

"I'm going to make a bet here and say you contacted MAD within this place, further more it was me." Annie commented, returning her focus back into the woman in front of her.

Repressing a scream and then showing she couldn't take anymore of what was being handed to her. Petra angrily snapped, "command A slash 0100 slash R!"

Stopping in the middle of it's attack of lashing out at it's ordered targets and those it knew to be a threat. Tarasoptwire grinded it's prominent mandibles together, followed by clenching and unclenching what constituted it's mouth area beyond that. A four part beak, that when looked at closely to what lay beyond it. That not covered in adapting photo-sensitive neuro-speed plating, the rest of the body was. Buzz saws like the kind fondly installed to most of the robot snakes made by the monster's relative creator. Rows of buzz saws, showing they'd deliver instant death to whatever they came in contact with.

The robot being now issued a new command to follow proceeded to do as it was ordered. Starting it's charge towards the direction both it's creator and her perceived assailant were in. It shook it's head finally throwing off the target which had been holding on to one of it's horns. To then slip away the tentacle gripping it's other target. Relief both mental and physical filling the second target. He fell too from the fabricated monstrosity. Luck on both targets' sides for not getting trampled under foot as it sprung forward pass them.

Knowing she was well in it's ordered path, the Specialized Agent moved aside, away from the former Specialized Agent. Annie's attention now more on the robot coming to forcefully greed her. She shouted towards the gang, "the rest know we're here! Get to the office! Get them before they leave here! I refuse to have this for not!"

Those not tending to their fallen companions, that had both agreed never to take on riding a mechanical bull ever again. They ran off towards the direction they'd been told to believe the great transaction was taking place in. All the money they could ever think to want. That is at this moment in time anyway.

\-----

Biting his lower lip, Yegar glanced at the phone he'd sat down on the table not that long ago. He felt pressure now to finish what he was doing as quickly as possible. After Petra had told him of the intruders who had entered the pyramid stirring up potential trouble, he'd started moving faster, and those he'd come in with. The grunts became equally alert but also inquisitive, the call having brought out in them. The government representatives not in his circle. Mr. Charest and his work associate, Mr. Hirsh. Yegar guessed Hirsh only served as a witness to the transaction since he had yet to speak up. They weren't to be trusted and them getting curious about the speedup. The MAD Agent didn't want to explain to them what was going on and wished he'd prepared with a good lie to cover for such an eventuality.

Being ignored when something of importance was at hand. Not the purchasing of the property but maybe just as relevant. The male grunt MAD Agent knowing he and his fellow in rank were being left in the dark about their superior's actions. Asked simply, "what was that call about? Trouble?"

"Former friends and buddies they've gotten beside them! They're either after this place or the moolah I just forked over on our behalf! I'm no fighter but you two grunts are! Defend me while we wait for the rest to get here!" The internal laborer wasn't sure if what he'd just said was a bad idea. But what could the government really do at this point if it was? MAD Agents and former MAD Agents along with men & women that didn't appear to be of the reputable sort. They out numbered the at last count government presence at the prairie pyramid. Since the idea of the Safeguard Program had been scrapped years ago the place had only been manned by a skeleton staff. The people in the same room as him? They normally weren't present he guessed plus none of the staff were in a position to really handle him and his other side of the street type associates.

"I'm sensing something is far from being kosher here?" Jaxon queried, he too feeling he was being left in the dark about something of importance. The representatives of Managing Astonishments Development already acting too funny in a bad sense. He knew whatever they were hiding, it might not have it's place here. It might also be a good justification of the coming new security monitoring system. That would happen, the main party he'd been talking with. Who he'd been interacting with, them having just finished signing the legal paperwork he'd been returned presented with.

Grabbing the carrying case holding the money meant for the property purchase away from the female grunt MAD Agent. Yegar replied as he threw the case into Charest's hands. "The papers are signed and you have your money now get lost!"

Mr. Hirsh rummaging through the freshly reviewed and signed papers, to then select certain ones to hand Yegar, commented. "Maybe it's best we do this now."

Total disbelief he was being handed back some of the papers he'd just worked through. Eyes bugging out in that shock. The internal laborer responded to it in saying. "Are you kidding?"

"No sir, those are legally binding papers. Your copies for your records." The supposed witness government representative answered.

Wondering if in fact he'd been handed over all the money asked for in the property deed transaction. Mister Charest set down the case which had almost been thrown at him, on to the table to open it and review it's contents. Displeased the representative was questioning MAD's hard work to acquire the money the man had just been given. Yegar frustrated and wanting nothing more then to escape the room, shouted at Jaxon. Once he had lifted out a couple fists fulls of money from the case to throw at him. "See see! No lie, all the money from the deal!"

Stunned by the actions being taken by one of the supervisors to a company that made amusement rides. Charest in a near shout questioned, "what is wrong with you?!"

"The urge to keep living! Big fight going down and no-brainer it's heading here!" After Yegar had shouted that, he knew he just didn't really care anymore if the government presence knew they weren't dealing with the sort they thought they were. Enough signs had to be pointing towards that anyway. Hopefully if they did figure things out, MAD could deal with the problem swiftly.

"Oh," was all Jaxon could think to reply. His expression looking only in mild surprise, he took to action immediately but not of the sort approved of by Yegar.

Yegar had not long before his answer in during that time, he'd thrown some of the payment at Charest. It laying scattered on the floor and on one of the unused chairs pushed out away from the table which had been used in handling the paperwork. The money was a mess everywhere on them. Mr. Charest even knowing a threat was headed in his direction, wanted to at least collect the payment for later turning it over to those above him who rightfully owned it now.

The internal laborer astonished by what he saw as an act of stupidity on the part of the man, now collecting the dough from the floor. Grabbed one of his arms to then tug him out of the room saying. "It's not that much loose there! You can collect it later!"

His reflex to save his own hide, that dropped not long after he, other MAD Agents and government employees were in the hallway outside the room. Now he had to question where exactly to go next. Letting go of Mr. Charest's arm and listening. He could hear what sounded like a dwindling fire fight happening somewhere far off. Yegar's only bet to that was it had to be where his informant was. She the only Specialized Agent on the scene. She herself couldn't cause gunfire to be drawn like that but her preferred company sure could. The sound of the gunfire, that had to be from where the trouble would be coming from.

Grateful he already had some familiarity with the prairie pyramid's internal layout. Yegar knew how to find the nearest exit the place had to his location. It wasn't as close as he'd wished it could be. Nevertheless at least it wasn't located back towards where the coming trouble was from. He could hear running foot steps in that direction now. More than one set. Who ever was near by, he didn't want to confront them. Starting into a run for the odd construction's nearest exit. The internal labor noticed he wasn't alone in his strided journey for safety. Without words his accompanying under him grunt workers and the government employees who'd been with him for the transaction. They were following his lead.

\-----

Philip was the first to make the unfortunate discovery followed by Gus. Phil had been the first to make it to the room that not long ago had been the whole focal point for his and the rest of the gangs' reason for being there. The selling of the property he was standing on. The MAD Agent he was supposed to help snag the transaction cash from. That guy was gone and so was the federal presence he'd been told should have been with the MAD Agent. There were signs people had been in the room recently. At least some of the money had been left behind when they left. But how much was it?

He narrowed his eyes trying to count it up without moving in to grab for it. It looked like a disappointment. A far smaller amount of money than what the two guys helping found the gang had said it should be. When Gus joined him in viewing the slant amount of cash left in the room, his analyzing of their fortune as it appeared. He groaned at the sight and framed himself in the doorway by bracing his hands against it, lowering his head.

There had to be missing factors here besides the missing people. The missing people might just have the money, the promised money, theirs' for the stealing. Moving into the room more, Philip decided aloud what he saw as their next best courses of action to take. "I'll grab up all that's here. You see if you can catch up to the loaded MAD Agent or loaded government pig. Get from them whatever I don't in here."

While Philip proceeded to move about the office, stuffing his pockets with every greenback he could find. Gus moved out to do his suggested job as if he'd been confronted with a juiced up cheetah, he knew he had to beat in a race. The pace Gus put out worked as he found the people he was sure he should be after in a large drab looking room which had on it's far wall a door marked exit. They were at it and appeared to be right then ready to go through it. If they made it outside that would only make his job harder he surmised.

Shouting to get their attention and hopefully delay or stop their intent to leave. Gus said, "I know one of you has a fortune in cash on them and I want it now!"

Giving Gus a look as if he was one of the dumbest people she'd ever met. The lady grunt MAD Agent replied. "Do you have any idea who you are trying to rob?"

"MAD Agents who crossed the wrong people." Gus answered, as he begin to ready himself for rumbling. Brass knuckles pulled out and placed on one hand. A bagh naka pulled out and put on his other hand. He was ready for them. Sure there were more than he thought there'd be but he'd faced more foes at once in the past. Certainly this bunch was more his speed than the robotic monster he'd been confronted with not long ago. Against that thing he was pretty much useless. These guys were people. These guys would be weak flesh, easy to pulverize & gash.

Perplexed, Hirsh didn't know what to make of what was going on. This wasn't what he thought he was waking up to when he'd started his day. People that truly didn't conform to the expected buyers he thought he'd been dealing with. People after them who presented danger. Unsure what to say or ever do, he spouted off. "Amusement park ride designers, wrong people?"

"You're employer's name said as it just was. Not what we through, who we thought -." Jaxon trailed off not sure what to say either. The situation he shared with his co-worker. Growing suspicion now surfacing. Not only words were failing him now but actions to take as well. He felt like a deer in the headlights, only inches from the side of the road and safety.

Government representation aside, the MAD Agents had a better idea about what to do now. In particular the only one carrying a gun on him. When the newly appointed gang member started running in his direction. The grunt shot Gus in the chest. Not the heart, he blamed lack of practice lately for the miss, but still a good shot. The problem was on the floor now and hopefully on his way to death.

The two deers in formal clothes now feared for their safety more. One of the buyers was armed. He had not signed the paperwork but he was connected. The wrong people now owned the place. Lies had been said and they had fallen for everyone of them. They'd been suckers who had just legally given over 160 acres to an organization based in the United States, filled with nothing but criminals in it who worked local and abroad. Were their jobs lost now? Their lives? Could they face jail time for a mistake of such high magnitude?

Yegar thought it an easy guess the gist of what could be going through the minds of the two stunned looking government employees. Them having both been witness to the quote un quote newly perceived scrum, one of them being very helpful. He stated to Mr. Charest, "a person who just defended you."

Taking hold of the doorknob, trying to break free of the ever sinking feeling in his gut. The headlights being forced to a dim glow he wished he could fail to see entirely. Charest commented after taking a gulp of air. "I'm going to for now dismiss a painful realization I'm having about you and your company."

Mister Hirsh's thoughts surfacing too finally, "are we still in danger?"

The MAD Agents felt no need to verbally respond to Carest's statement and Hirst's question. The men weren't of the same importance now as they were prior to the purchase. They were potential problems unlike the one who'd just been shot. For now how they had to be dealt with, only patience could eventually tell that in waiting for most of MAD to show up at the doorstep to this place. That and shoving the men out the door in case more unaffiliated hostile thugs decided to show up.

\-----

The robotic creature would scare or puzzle most anyone who caught sight of it in it's uncamouflaged state. A tremendous thing born from the written chroniclings of nightmares. To Amazon Annie it was nothing but technology, a collection of parts MAD should have put to some form of better use. That is if the construct had been made by the organization at all. For all she knew which was extremely little, robotics could have been not just Professor Venom's simple pastime hobby. It could have been something he'd either personally taught Petra Veromist. Or she could have taught him? Such a thing was hard to figure out without questioning the woman and the former Specialized Agent did not feel in the mood to do so.

It caught the shaft of her spear in it's mandibles as she tried to strike at the base of it's lower, largest horn. Her reasoning to aim there, an assumption some of it's CPU might be in it. The attack backfired strongly when the thing knew it had now a new advantage over her and it snapped it's pinchers together, breaking the weapon in two. One half falling to the ground and kicked at mindlessly by the fabricated cryptid. The other half remaining in her hands, sporting splintered pino chuncho wood coming to a rugged point.

Catching that an opportunity was presenting it's self for revenge. Louis carefully made his way to the fallen half on the broken weapon. In Tarasoptwire's frenzy of movement, it's attention focused on it's target of the lady of former MAD employ. It was still a mild danger to the other former MAD Agent, that normally was more a man to the shadows, than showy in his actions. The monster's feet scuffling around. If things went wrong he'd either have a crushed arm or hand, in reaching for the steel tipped tool. Neither bad result happened as he managed to take hold of it.

A plan in advance having formed in his head what to do when he got a hold of the split weapon. Without hesitance he ran and lept to meet the height he needed for his goal towards the robotas. Towards it's right intake camera eye, to pierce it with the blade on the weapon the monstrous thing had broken in half.

The fabricated monster reeled on to it's hind legs in shock of it's sudden blow of serous damage. Shaking it's head from side to side trying to dislodge the weapon embedded in it's head. This failing, it returned to being on all fours and with one of it's tentacles, tried to remove the broken half of the tool in it's head. Tarasoptwire's programming was shifting between different function priorities. A fact which was an easy observation to anyone watching it's movements.

. Remove destructive obstruction.

. Destroy source of destructive obstruction.

. Proceed to do as command A slash 0100 slash R, prompted.

Confused, Annie figured. If it was a live animal, this likely would be playing out differently with only one factor remaining true. That being attack the source which was the guilty party of the confusion. What wasn't being played out, was it running away in terror. The former Specialized Agent doubted it had ever been programmed to feel that. Although seeing what it was doing of showing what to an organic being came across as muddled thought? Annie like Louis saw opportunity in what was going on.

Twisting her hands tensely around the shaft of still held, broken weapon. She dodged Tarasoptwire's other tentacle not engaged in removing the spear half lodged in it's right intake camera eye. The powerful 360 jointed whip-like apparatus had swiped towards her feet as she moved for the beast's head. It's failure to strike her came by her treating the grasping feeler as if it were nothing more than a schoolyard jump rope. Once she'd made it beyond the rope, she jumped once more and did as her rival for the gang's leader had done but slightly different. She struck her held half of the damaged spear into the robot's left intake camera eye.

No rearing on to it's hind legs happened this time. No staking of it's head either. It just stopped all it's movement at once. The robotic creature seemingly finally in a state of rest after having taken rounds of bullets, energy blasts and blows from the spear when it had been whole. That was funny to Amazon Annie to the point it made her laugh aloud looking at the construct. It's lack of movement with the exception of the weapon half the former grunt MAD Agent had trust into it, now falling from it to the ground. The other half of the spear she had implanted in it, still firmly lodged in it's head.

Petra, who had kept her distance from Annie during the robot's attack. Now came towards her, more furious than she'd been before she had ordered her monster upon the other woman. At almost face to face, the current MAD Agent, shouted at the taller woman. "How could you!?"

Giggling at both her and her unmoving nightmare that looked like it could have acted as a substitute to a real calygreyhound, if ever one existed. Annie replied, "easy and I could dispatch you as well. Ready?"

When the former Specialized Agent started for the part of the spear she had thrust into Tarasoptwire's head. That is when she noticed it was still active. Twitching one of it's ears, the receiver was cocked towards her now. When she stepped back, it stepped forward towards her. An easy guess Annie thought. Between whatever functions the robotas was trying to preform. Clearly command A slash 0100 R, was still active in it's memory.

After the former MAD Agent took another step backwards, the fabricated cryptid had come to a final calculation in it's AI programming of what it should do next. Not looking like it was taking a meek step like it had done moments before. Tarasoptwire now charged at where it knew from sounds it's had received, Annie must be standing. It dawning on her, the intended target fast, what was taking place. Annie knew how to deal with the blinded monstrosity. Grabbing Petra, she threw the MAD Agent into the path of the mindless thing, and cleared her self of it's path in the process.

The current MAD Agent let out a scream in utter annoyance at her predicament. Trying to hold at bay her own creation from killing her. Wanting at the same time death to the one who had done this to her, she growled at the former one. Annie knew better than to say anything to this. Tarasoptwire while blind could still listen for her. After placing one finger over her mouth and pursing her lips. Annie winked at the distressed woman under attack and ran off in the direction her fellow gang members were headed in. Off to wealth intermixed with far less possibility of danger.

\-----

"On our first mission with you!" Philip shouted in a cry toned with anger.

Those were the only words he could think to say as he saw the rest of the gang approaching him. On the floor bent down over Gus, Phil took notice of them when they had started coming within earshot of him. The room he had found Gus in had been empty when he'd found his way into it. It held no signs others had ever been in there recently except an associate to him in crime on the floor bleeding.

They aren't friends as Philip defined it but neither were they enemies. They'd just pulled a few jobs together in the past. At first just members of rival gangs. Small time ones which never branched out farther than the suburbs of Rock Haven and Lincoln. His gang's territory being the northwest. Gus's gang's territory being slightly on the sporadic side. Moving from the southeast to intercity depending on the time of year. Phil didn't hate the man but had tried to convince him from time to time he needed a better affiliation of people around him. When discovering he was eager for this new gang. One which showed promise of going to heights both the Ash Valley and Boehm's Boyz, gangs had never. He thought the man had finally wised up. He thought he too had wised up. Now seeing the man's chest covered in blood, he just shook his head.

Beat up but nowhere near in as bad a state as Gus, Louis asked what he was sure everyone was thinking, "dead?"

The former member of the Ash Valley gang stopped moving his head. Without looking at the former grunt for MAD. Choking on his words at first, he replied. "Nah, but looks close to that."

Coming up from almost the rear, Amazon Annie had been lagging at the back of the group. That going on since not long after the rest of the gang and herself had made it out of the vicinity Petra Veromist was in along with her monster. In Cavalier the men had told her about there being an unknown factor at the prairie pyramid, that likely was a Specialized Agent. Only Louis had gotten a good look at her from the security monitor he'd seen her on. But that had not helped prepare for encountering the woman. When moving beyond Louis, Annie asked looking down at Gus, giving him a visual examination. "I can't threat bullet wounds like this. He needs a hospital."

Sobbing lightly, Philip answered with his attention focused on Gus. "No health insurance I know of."

Attempting to lighten the mood. Bringing up what he was sure they were all thinking about other than the tragedy before them. The question of it being in good taste to ask, only flickering through his mind for a couple moments. Terry brought up, "did one of you get the money?"

If it helped bringing up why they were here to begin with. At least outside the former employees of MAD conducting their own form of revenge on those who had slighted them. The former Elite Agent couldn't tell this. Were they too as well watching Phillip's actions? The newly appointed gang member paused for a second before getting up to deeply reach into one of his pants pockets to then pull out a heavily crumpled wad of cash.

Phil glaring at the rest of the gang confirmed what Terry had guessed. What he'd said hadn't helped. The North Dakota native didn't much feel in the mood to interact with him or even Louis. They'd been the ones who had recruited him and Gus into the newly formed gang. The indication Philip was still feeling at an emotional low could be noticed by the look he'd given both the cyborg and his long time friend. Although that wasn't passed on to the third founding member of the gang. Annie hadn't been there to pluck the man off the street and make the offer to him. She'd been busy at the local zoo when that had been taking place. She'd being the cause behind one of the largest animalnappings ever seen in the state or whole northern mid-west United States.

When he had placed the ball of money in Annie's palms, she guessed she'd need to present when realizing he wanted to give her the money. Louis taking note of the size of the wad of cash. It being much smaller than he knew it should be. Not attuned to what his compadre was, in what was taking place. Then stated, "that isn't right."

"That's all I found!" Phil yelled, as he boiled over, making fists but knowing better than to use them.

Once she had picked apart and examined the money she'd been handed. The former Specialized Agent tossed abruptly a quarter of it on to Gus, with some of it landing beside him. A gray zone of etiquette done to him, but explanation came with it while she spoke, looking at the unconscious man on the floor. "This will be for his medical treatment."

Frowning about their prize purchased with pain from the battle with Tarasoptwire and Gus's potentially fatal wound. Terry scratched the back of his neck with only his nails, eyeing what money his girlfriend still held in her hand. It didn't look like much which soured his mood more about how their time had been spent. Wanting to express his disappointment about that, he commented. "There isn't much of a rest of that left, Annie."

"No there isn't," she stated in reply.

Narrowing his eyes and taking on a pouting expression. Louis speaking as if he meant to be talking to all of the gang, but looking at the floor, said. "All that work and all we get in turn is what maybe a few thousand? Back when MAD started and I mean the original MAD, that probably could have bought Mount Everfrost, but nowadays."

The thought had been one of Amazon Annie's early ones about the venture they were undertaking. Something which could be done with the gained money. Help she hoped would not be needed but their raid on the Safeguard Program installation had proved otherwise. After counting again the money she had been presented with, she spoke like Louis had. It was meant for the men she knew but felt like it should cover the whole of her new gang. "Once he is treated. I know how to make this money profit us in getting our gang really rolling. Men, I know enough about the both of you," old very thoughts making her pause. One man but well a connected one. More trouble she'd be introducing upon them? Nah, he was an old friend. Feeling like it was truly the best choice of action, she continued, "to say one thing before I put it to good use. Guys all of you, need to brush up on your Japanese, we're going to Japan."

\- Flocking Towards The Inevitable -

The employees of Circuit Central, not knowing what to make of their potential customers? Is that what these guys were? The group that had entered the store with two dogs in tow, one not even a real dog. Their boss, once one of the group had spoken to him. He seemed fine with their presence even if it felt like a complete violation against store policies. They gave the men and one young lady with them, a wide berth. Why the group was allowed to appropriate their merchandise by a policy agreed with to some organization within the government, seemed fishy. Especially since one of the men was wearing handcuffs and appeared not in a good way to be of interest to one of them. The handcuffed man looked like he wanted to take things off the shelves minus, they were sure that organization's approval. A different man that kept near to the one who'd spoken to the boss. Him acting like he was on the border of starting a conflict with the prisoner one. If it wasn't ok with their management this group was here. They would have felt it their duty to call to the police asking for them to removed, or at least keep a watchful eye on them.

What was being taken off the shelves wasn't the sort of merchandise normally sought after. Electronic components only expert tech enthusiasts would care to mess around with. It was interesting to view what was being selected and how that even happened. When the man who had spoken to ask permission, sat down in the area of the store used to educate customers in computer usage classes. A ring enclosed space with one raised up step leading into it. Rows of tables with top of the line home computers stationed on them. Bench seats placed almost directly beneath them. Posters hanging from the ceiling above depicting happy people being productive on their PCs. A place which also served as a pen for parents to wait in with their children, while others with them shopped the store. He looked anxious about what he caught sight of, of the men making selections. One that appeared be to the owner of the over sized Aibo and the other that wanted a fight with the handcuffed man. Both it would seem knew a great deal about electronics and wanted to sound more dominant than the other about what he was talking about.

At least the prisoner wasn't with the pair shopping for free. He was with the leader wearing the trench coat, flicking his attention between the man, his shopping companions and once in a while the dogs. Neither animal should have been allowed in the store. Actual K9 or not. The fake one acted just like it was real. At least while the fake one's owner was shopping, the young lady was tending to the pets, keeping them out of trouble.

When after the men shopping had reached a mutual decision they had gathered all they'd be needing, both presented their collections to the front end supervisor for records to be made. Even with knowing as far as it made sense what was going on, the man still felt he had to consult his boss before letting the men have their new belongings. If what was said was true the employees thought. The leader wearing the trench coat had a reason to be looking worried. If he was a real true cyborg about to get modified. That wouldn't be cause to be concerned for theft or animal inflicted store damages. That would be strangest sight ever witnessed in their Circuit Central and likely an easy bet also towards any of the other stores carrying the same name.

Approaching the place called by the store as the learning ring. John wanted to move well away from his partner and new ally coming towards him. They were fighting and it was over him. Over which one would be working on him. Meddling with his body to give him yet another gadget or function? The terming of what was to be done, was an argument which never arose in normal conversational debate anywhere. He'd rather not think too hard about it. He was about to get worked on in an environment far from Metro City's HAPPY HQ or his home. Fun times which made him wish his inter coward wasn't in the back of his mind, insisting he be knocked out for the procedure.

"I've been altering myself since the dawn of 2000! I know this practice better than anyone because from what you've told me, even with others out there. I reign for having the most experience for being part complex machinery!" Jake retaliated, as he sat down his shopping bag on the bench nearest him, when he entered the ring.

Setting down the electronic components he'd acquired, on the nearest table to him, Alan was quick to point out. "John got to be how he is now by my team and another, back in '15. He isn't the same as you no matter how much you want to argue that!"

Their verbal fight not missing Penny's ears, she wanted to interfere but wasn't sure what to do in that. Her uncle needing this unusual modification that if plan worked, might save lives. Alan, she knew but despite time passed had yet to fully forgive him for tinkering with her relative to begin with. This guy named Jake, whom she barely knew. She hoped could be fully trusted. These factors made her for once feel an adult's judgement call might hold more water then her own. She didn't understand the field of techno-biological integration a.k.a. Bio-Technology, and could only speak for what she knew about for dealing with god given normal biology.

Petting Brain, she focused her attention more on the men fighting as Jonathan cut in with. "Al, you've twice worked on Skinie and MAD did this work on him first. Their skilled people, not the people we know."

Annoyed but understanding his co-worker's point, the tech countered with. "That is true but from everything HAPPY and I have learned of MAD's work creating human cyborgs, it's very similar to what I know."

Wanting to hold on to his pride from carefully gained knowledge over time. That coming from being taught by Myron, books the bio-technician had in his library, scanned into his zippy memory, and trial & error work done on his body. The former JOY Agent asked bringing their argument back to where it had started from. "How long have you done this?"

The focus of their spat, resisting the urge to panic, knowing full well how he was obligated to events unfolding. John then told both men, "Alan, Jake can observe but not tinker. Maybe he might learn something he didn't know already, ok? I am the patient here and my word in this should be the final one."

The younger man beamed with smug superiority at the oldest among them, hearing his not to be argued go ahead. After reaching into one of his vest's pockets to remove a pen-light he liked to carry around, he asked politely to the inspector. "Please roll up you sleeve. I need to be able to get to your forearm's primary bundled control center."

It wasn't too far into the procedure, Jake knew he did not like to be a backseat driver to it, being only allowed observation. He'd noticed that yes it was very true the inspector's augmentations had numerous differences from his but he did recognize components he had, the other man did too. Heyward's first level of technological-biological integration was alien to him. That was a fact the security systems analyst found fascinating and a tad bit disconcerting.

It was a nice fact to learn of another complex human cyborg like himself, and with that the man's bio-tech help telling him of even more out there. But those differences he was noticing were so far-flung from his own integrated implantations, he felt like he'd been left behind. Yes, he'd become altered many years before this man and he'd even upgraded himself. But the technology this man had been given, most of it appearing to be default to his transformed body. Jake felt jealous about it and almost wished he'd been changed initially much later than he had.

What prompted him to action was noticing despite how different that first level of technological-biological integration was. The second level of that, at least in the man's palms was close to what he had and had altered more than once. The changes he'd personally done allowing him to do tricks even the man who'd installed the electromagnets to begin with. They gave Myron reason blush in surprise at the unconventional new uses. The HAPPY Agent's EMP pulse gun, simply installed to act as a weapon to now being reconfigured to admit waves of electromagnetic disruption to force birds to rethink their intended flight path. The former JOY Agent knew a few things about electromagnetic waves.

Realizing he was minus his tools for this sort of work. Left at home since he'd not known he'd be needing them when going in to try and help HAPPY to start with. Hoping he was right in seeing what he needed when browsing the store. Before departing the learning ring, Jake told the two HAPPY Agents words to mentally chew on. "Men, the birds. For their destination. The other realm for that. This all started in a hell. Could you access that? Send them there? Second, no more work until I get back."

Both inspector and engineer exchanged a look with one another before turning to look at the analyst. The last part not caught by the former JOY Agent with his back now turned to them, in him going off to shop. What the man had said should have dawned on them earlier, but was it even possible? Hadn't the opened fissure to the hate dimension been closed up? Certainly Mt. Everfrost had been blown to hell in the process. Although not exactly as literally as that, the boulders and rubble were on their earth from the event. If what they had witnessed near the end of the mountain's existence still held, if however now buried. The hate dimension or what Jake was calling it of being a hell. Hell might still be reachable after some digging was done.

When both of them had last been close to it, they had not been exactly inside it. They had been deep within MAD's headquarters, as the place was slowly being shifted into it. If what they'd seen of that shifting still held up. Of the exotic toxic gases which defined it's atmosphere, reaching up beyond the opened peak of the mountain. That in an educated guess, the lowest depths of the headquarters had been shifted over to the hate dimension and they been seeing the shift reaching still further. The birds could be sent there.

"I'd put in a call to HAPPY right now but you, we both know this is an inconvenient time for that." John said, letting out a sigh.

Knowing then she could put herself to better use than just an eye on their K9 company. Penny grabbed for her phone, to then have the cell dial her closest contact, she knew likely would be in HAPPY at that moment. Since both her uncle's hands were in less than stellar shape to be of any use to him. Their current state being only functional on a basic level, some movement without the sensory input of touch active. Plus opened up to reveal some internal workings she'd strangely gotten used to seeing on occasion. Placing the phone by his ear, she told him. "It's not Chief Quimby, it's Eda."

"She'd have no involvement with this sort of thing. Penny, I need to send some birds to hell, not get them checked out by a doctor!" The inspector started to protest fast to his niece before ending it as soon as he was greeted with a friendly however sounding strained hello from the phone's contacted other end.

Eda didn't sound in a good way right then and with as much going on as he had, John still wanted to ask her what was going on for her. Although she stopped him from what he'd been intending to say, asking him. "I heard a fraction of what you were saying before I picked up the phone to my ear. Not get who checked out by me I assume?"

Sensing the icy daggers being shot in his direction. The HAPPY Agent trying to talk with his doctor, turned to look at the MAD Agent present. Finch looked like he wanted to exact death on to him and thinking about the man's special relationship with aves, it was sadly understandable. Turning away to try and ignore the nonverbal threats he was receiving, he clarified. "Not a person Doctor Venture, birds."

Silence was all that could be perceived of what was taking place on Eda's end as she thought over what she'd just been told. The pause lasting only a few seconds before she spoke again, now stating & asking. "This is Penny's phone you are calling from. What is going on right now?"

Without hesitance the inspector answered. "I'm being operated on. Penny volunteered her phone since I can't use mine."

The pause from doctor's end was much shorter this time. Her reply to him sounded like an emotional eruption of panic was taking place, further now querying. "Inspector what are you thinking!? You need special doctors, specialized ones like myself! Who is working on you?! Because if it's someone I've never heard of before, I'd strongly advise you put a stop to that surgery right now!"

Now it was his turn to pause before answering. His co-worker caught in a work pause at the extra helper's request, looking at him. John told her as calmly as he could. "Eda, the work is being done by Alan. It's my machinery hes working on." Thinking again about how the lady had sounded when they'd first started speaking, he added. "Is something wrong on your end?"

"I just got permission not long ago that I can try to help our friends out west. The earthquake, I'm sorry John. I'm under some stress right now. I should have realized you knew better." The medical practitioner relayed, with a whimper in her voice.

Was it impolite to ask her this in her state? Considering it justified under the circumstance, Jonathan went forward in asking. "When you got your permission. Was it from Chief Quimby?"

Criminal matters and ordering the sourcing out of HAPPY employees who dealt with them. The multi-field practitioner of medicine let out a long breath before replying about her relationship to the inspector's superior. "I report mainly to Badu Blackwell and Fadel Stowe, sorry."

Realizing his mistake, he then replied. "Could you relay something to him? Please it's urgent."

"What is it he needs to do with the San Francisco HQ that's a law matter? Inspector, please tell me what I'm in for over there? I haven't had much contact with the place." She answered him, sounding exasperated.

"I'm in Montana, Doctor Venture things are more complex than first thought about this case with the sickness and where it comes from. I need it ordered Mount Everfrost get dug up. I'm going on the hope here I can send some birds to where the sun doesn't shine by the devil's ruling order." When John answered her he got lucky in his timing. Not that it was good Icarus chose then to try and make a go at hurting him. It was Jake's timing in returning from his shopping. Catching the MAD Agent in mid-lunge at the law enforcer HAPPY Agent, the former JOY Agent dropping his shopping bag in the process.

"I want to kill you too now!" Finch shouted, before the doctor could reply. While the engineer tried to view the internals of the dropped bag without picking it up.

Confusion mixed with new growing panic. Eda felt the need to mentally count to what was at first ten, that then turned into twenty before she spoke again. "Sickness? What sickness?! Second you have someone with you who wants you dead?!"

"Who are you talking with?" The analyst queried, as he forced the bird shepherd to sit back down.

Once he had closed his eyes in frustration for a moment, John said to her. "Doctor Eda Venture, this sickness. It's birds controlled by MAD. It can either be deathly, fatal, or just make you very ill. I'm with the MAD Agent once thought to be the one controlling the little feather dusters. Listen digging up and exposing that dark dimension's portal, is the only long term way this crisis could be turned null. Will you tell the Chief that?"

From giving a count in her head of twenty then go up to thirty, she answered eventually. "I will tell him as soon as I can. Right now I have a plane to catch.

"I pity you," Penny told her. Just before John replied with, "thank you."

From the other end of the line of conversation, the end call button was tapped before anything further could be said. In the learning ring, Jake grabbed his fallen bag and proceeded to examine it's contents to ensure not for the first time, he had bought the right things. Finally getting an adequate look at what the new acquaintance had gotten. Alan proceeded to state and ask. "He said you aren't allow to do any work? What is all that for?"

Grinning about his command having been listened to from earlier. That of the tech shouldn't do anymore work on the inspector until he got back. Jake replied, "Your co-worker I've noticed is in fact very different from me on what I call the first level of technological-biological integration. Although his second level? What mechanics are in his hands. That is similar to what I know and I will add, know quite well."

Focusing his attention to John, Jake asked as cordial and formal as he could. "Please sir, let me make the major changes. You, HAPPY, and anyone else with an ounce of commonsense recognition about what is going on. They will agree this is the best course of action."

"Is it your goal to act like an ass?" Alan questioned the former JOY Agent, waving his tool in hand, in the man's direction.

"Only when it's required," the security systems analyst answered.

To allow the almost total stranger access to meddling with his hands. Should he allow it? Alan Engenis had once been a complete stranger over a year ago. Jake Anatech, currently fell into almost the same category, the exception was at least he was mildly acquainted with the man. Sure it hadn't been long, but he hadn't even been consciousness when he'd first gotten acquainted with the tech. From reading his medical file of when he'd been rushed to HAPPY's special intensive care treatment facility. He'd been in a coma state with near zero chance of recovery. The engineer and his team had simply been assigned to him since they had signed paperwork agreeing to do such a job if it ever arose, the need to alter a person into a cyborg.

More than once on this, his current mission, he had questioned what sort of person Jake was and for the most part that questioning had proved unfounded. He wasn't a MAD Agent for starters and had yet to lie as far as that could be detected or confirmed. Him being a fellow cyborg, was a fact of wanted dismissal of his character. Why should that prove of importance to what sort of person he was? That shouldn't define the man, but here if everything he said was true. It was that he had indispensable knowledge of a life condition and how to alter it if need be. Not rid the body of it since that would be suicide at least to himself, John Heyward. To Anatech, he knew not how he'd come to be in his current state but he wanted to know of it. Jake knew how to alter the gadgets integrated into himself. He would give this man a chance to work on him and if it was learned the former JOY Agent was lying, it was a good thing help from HAPPY wasn't too far away.

\----

"I don't like this." John commented to himself and anyone he hoped was listening to him.

He'd been modified mainly back in the electronics store in Miles City, but it had not ended there. Knowing every second that passed more damage to life could be taking place, the alterations got prompted to be an on the go job. These changes to made to him, he felt uncomfortable about what they meant outside their helping nature. Beyond that helping nature it meant a sacrifice had to be made for the coming job not to endanger him. That while nothing of these changes were done when inside the Gadgetmobile with his partner at the wheel, since his hands were incapacitated. Further work was done when taking a moment out in Ingomar. Then when back on the road, getting an inspection that when conclusion was drawn of it. The job was essentially then done. It was agreed to start trying to get the plague carriers to come for them.

They weren't in town. All of them knew better than to try this stunt in a populated area. Only one questioned if it or he knew that would be a bad idea. Although not having access to Penny's tablet computer when the decision was made. Brain doubted saying his thoughts about the intelligence of the Beta would be of any use to the team in their knowledge of what was taking place. Roundup, at least shortly outside it's northern border, felt like a very appropriate place for the magnetic revision pulse to start from.

What the inspector didn't like about what was taking place he was trying to be as vocal as possible about. How the EMP pulse guns in his hands had been changed to make things work. Now part of him was in Jake's hands and that could easily be transferred into anyone else's hands. At least it was an added technological component with no sensory input to it for his nerves to feel. But this extension of himself? True, he'd noted after it was made, it was not the first gadget he'd been given which was detachable without feeling. His helicopter extension, computer extension, and binocular enhancement one as well. He couldn't feel them except if they got knocked around which jarred his whole head with the sensation of the movement.

Jake holding the instrument meant to fine tune his modified pluses, ignoring what had just been said, asked. "Raise you hands higher towards the southeast direction. All we can do is pray they're in that direction."

Words didn't have to be said of what both cyborgs expected. Turning towards the MAD Agent in their company, Finch caught their looks of anticipation and only glared at them as his reply. Feeling it was at least worth a try, John started. "Their last location, still near what the news reports -," the Specialized Agent cut him off.

"I told you, I'm saying nothing!"

Displeased by the man's further non-cooperation, the HAPPY Agent inspector shook his head before focusing his attention back on his hands. The strain of keeping his arms in the air should have bothered him but it didn't. No normal set of bones and muscles to deal with the stress, at least in this forearms. His arms had no bones in them beyond this elbows. He didn't start to have bones again in his arms until his wrists, with his hands still having most of the ones he'd been given at birth. His muscles were there but they didn't act the way they'd been biologically put there for. Their purpose now was interior pulleys linked in places to his interlocking robotic piping and his still organic arm interior coated in flexible carbon fiber dots. His upper arms being the solid parts they were minus the robotic piping of his lower arms. They could still feel stress like they could in the old days prior to transformation. But his tolerance he felt grateful in them now, was higher than it used to be.

"You know I have to wonder how fast they'll get here. Since I bet while similar in some sense to how MAD got them moving. I doubt it was this same form of force. You are broadcasting at Wb slash four M two over last I saw to your adjustments." Alan questioned, as he bent down to settling himself on the ground to look up at the sky.

"I don't know what you just said at the end there. But unless MAD has agents stationed in both Virginia, Pennsylvania, and where ever they plan to strike next. Alan, otherwise the birds might be forced to travel at the same speed as the people controlling them." John replied, staring off into the sky himself.

No interest at all currently in the location the aves were sure to be coming from. Jake wondering about what could be perceived as a questionable statement of unknown fact, uttered. "How do you know it's more then one agent involved? You guys wanted MAD's little exemption to common practice caught and he appears to work alone."

"What?!" The inspector replied, saying aloud what the bird shepherd was about to say at about the same time. The HAPPY Super Agent having beat him to the punch, stopping him from sounding like a human parrot.

Stopping what she'd been up to of reading an ebook of what she'd been assigned to do a report on for English class, on her smartphone. Penny asked Jake, "you haven't had many dealings with MAD have you?"

"Eeh, I'd say I've had a hand full of dealings with them over time. I keep my eyes peeled on what RAGE is up to more often." Jake said before realizing he might have let loose with something, "I'm sorry if that was offensive to you bird guy?"

"How was that offensive, second goodie tin man?" Finch answered, feeling pleased MAD didn't have to worry much about the inspector's added help.

Feeling confused wonderment to the Specialized Agent's response. The former JOY Agent stated. "I know MAD doesn't like to get confused with RAGE and vice versa."

The look Finch had taken on with having heard the statement given by the analyst made him look guilty of something. Sure the man was guilty of a number of crimes, but the grin he was wearing with his eyes slitted, spoke of something likely unknown to law enforcement. After he had let those watching him, have their moment to stew in thought about his reaction to the former JOY Agent's address of fact, he spoke up. "You said yourself I'm MAD's little exemption to common practice. I don't take my blood gift as an issue with their normal way of operating. They sought me out since I have a talent others don't."

Returning his attention back to the sky for a few seconds to check for incoming harbingers of disease. Once confident he saw no signs of them, John racked his brain about what was being said before an explanation told to him months ago resurfaced in his thoughts. The Specialized Agent didn't fit MAD's normal mold. All of them had issues but they had to be acceptable ones within the organization's code of practice. If a MAD Agent were vocal about something which could only be deemed by others as fantasy, they didn't fit in. Icarus Finch could directly communicate with and command a whole branch of the animal kingdom. That was something the inspector guessed maybe only the tiniest fraction of the world's population could do.

"You actually support the agents who left MAD to work for RAGE don't you?" John queried, figuring the question likely would be replied to with a yes.

"I think they're insane in their ideas but hey, they aren't a problem any more!" The bird shepherd started laughing towards the end of saying his answer. Nothing about what had been said was funny, as far as anyone else present was concerned. What the matter did invoke of a different reaction in the party, was with only one of them. Jake's attention had been caught before the criminal's last words. When exactly he had stopped paying full attention to the fine tuner he was holding, was when the inspector had last spoken. Now having disturbing thoughts of possibility go through his head. The former JOY Agent opened his mouth to ask.

"These MAD Agents who went to work for RAGE. What were they into? Witchcraft?"

"Time travel," John replied simply.

It was Jake's turn to now laugh before he composed himself to then say. "Any success, I hope not? God, if Sybil was still around, what that mad woman would do with such a thing!"

"Sybil?" The name didn't ring a bell to Penny in context to anything going on, so it had to be questioned.

Answers to both things said came almost simultaneously. From the super HAPPY Agent and from the former JOY Agent. The inspector having a lead of a couple seconds before the security systems analyst, they went forthwith.

"No, but it has lead to something different. Crossing into different dimensions. They haven't quite gotten that down Anatech. So I don't think worry is needed."

"Sybil Hunter is Doctor Kein Hunter's ex-wife. The bitch was a bigger thorn in my side more than him for ages. Much more wacko, I don't miss her one bit.

Remembering now she already knew what she had just questioned. A fact she'd heard told months ago. Putting her phone to sleep, and turning to Jake. Penny felt the need to now ask him. "You absolutely never get involved with LockTech's sales do you?"

"It's not part of my job description miss," the analyst answered.

Handcuffed but always with at least one or more sets of eyes on him. Finch's movements being monitored had led to no surprises while they'd all been on the area of land an eighth of a mile from Highway 87. Him stopping in pacing around to pursue staring at the sky caught Alan's interest, having been the one who'd been primarily paying attention to him. Figuring the scoundrel's focus might mean something, he started speaking to the group as a whole. "Guys," before noticing his co-worker that while he too had been focused on the sky, now it seemed more captivating to him.

Making a quick guess about what could be taking place. An assessment which would be astounding for both science and luck at the same time if true. The engineer decided to look to where his fellow HAPPY Agent was staring, and MAD Agent to boot. Was he seeing what not only was his, but also the self taught bio-technician's work on the inspector, come to fruition? An odd formation in the sky at a distance which didn't appear to be a cloud, carrying red in it along with black. Could it be what they were all hoping on?

"Lanet, those animals are dumber than dirt," the Specialized Agent commented, before adding almost under his breath. "But jet fast, I'll give them that."

It looked to be a fizzing mass of black dotted with red, and at a distance. A breach in the sky's serenity unlike any flock of birds any of them had ever witnessed with the exception of one. The MAD Agent in the party had seen them in flight like that only once before. Video captured of their release to start off on their mission. A viewing forced on him by some of MacBorneo's friends, who backed the man in poking at Finch for not accepting the job of being the aves remote handler.

"Wowzers," was all the super HAPPY Agent could think to say as he observed the collection of genetically engineered birds in the distance coming for him.

Strange sounds started to call towards the sky as G9 caught on to the sight. His new fur covered pal, listening to the distorted musical emanations didn't feel like joining in with the fabricated dog's howls at the creatures beyond their reach. Brain had other thoughts about them. They were all in danger and he wondered how much that fact was running through the minds of the humans. Certainly his Alpha, his master needed to know it if she hadn't thought of that already. And if Penny could be told, she could warn the rest. Only she knew his language without the use of a computer or tablet to aid his speech.

Jumping up on to his hind legs to press the paws of his forelegs against her lower belly. The teen noticed him immediately as he whined at her and kept swinging his head up and backwards from her direction. When he started to then come in towards her to lightly nip her hand to indicate what was coming was dangerous, she stopped him and said. "I know, I know Brain. I'll tell them."

Her contact with her uncle had not gone as smoothly as she had just experienced with her pet. Tapping on one of his upper arms, he almost jumped and forced a change in the movement of the flock. The birds making a dive and upturn in the air before returning to their flight path. Annoyed at the interruption but feeling understanding, John asked her, turning to face her. "What is it Penny? I'm kind of busy."

"You remember those guys you're forcing here can potentially kill us right?" She noted to him before grabbing the sleeve of his trench coat, without much force. Knowing more needed to be said, she continued with. "I'm sure Chief Quimby is on the task. I'm sure he has ordered HAPPY Agents out to what was Mt. Everfrost. We had to lead these creatures on the go, Uncle!"

He wouldn't argue with his niece, she was right. Then catching a different set of eyes were on him. John saw that Jake was acting like he was ready to leave too. With a good degree of urgency in his voice as well, he told the inspector. "You shouldn't be disconnected from the tuner when we're on the go! Who else can drive that tricked out ride of yours?! I need you standing in and out of it's sunroof!"

Grabbing the keys out of her relative's coat pocket, Penny exclaimed. "I can!," as she headed off for the modded '83 Supra.

"Penny!" Jonathan shouted as he started to run after the girl, forgetting what it was he was supposed to be doing. Fellow HAPPY Agent and former JOY Agent noticing in a heart beat what was taking place, sprung into action. The analyst running in time with the inspector as to make sure the tuner didn't disconnect or tumble to the ground. The engineer grabbing his co-worker's arms and forcing them into their needed direction towards the sky.

As the trio dashed off to greet the high school student at the car, she was now slipping into. Feeling left alone where not long ago everyone had been gathered. Finch grinned at the sight before him of the men going after the lady who apparently had her drivers license. That feeling of exuberance, of freedom stopped when he got reminded he wasn't alone. Teeth were now biting into his right leg.

Peering down, the bird shepherd saw the woman's mutt with a grip on him, now tugging him towards the commotion at a distance from them. A second feeling of pain hit the MAD Agent when he saw the K9 version of monkey see, monkey do was taking place. The robotic dog was now biting into his left leg and tugging him towards same action as the organic wolf relative was. Finch wasn't sure which bite hurt worse as he screamed at the dogs. "I'll go! Lanet you beasts, I'll comply! Let go!"

\-----

The only things which saved his niece from legal action against her was she was driving a vehicle used for law enforcement and a case was being handled she had associational ties with. Further more they were pressed for time on that case, because if they didn't keep well in front of what he was directing to follow them, they were all in trouble. From Highway 87 to Highway 89, to then US Route 2 and lastly on major roads, US Route 93. John withheld from everyone the thoughts of fear he was having.

She was acting like a speed demon and she knew it was justified. His new friend wasn't helping him about mentally dealing with that fact. The fellow cyborg seemed non-admittedly envious of what she was getting away with, and didn't want to encourage slowing down. Her driving the Gadgetmobile like a bat out of hell to lead birds into hell, with him trying his best to properly stand up correctly through the sunroof's hole. Arms stretched out to their normal human length. No further since the fine tuner connected into him had it's attaching wires at lengths far below, what his arms could extend to. Keeping his thoughts of a possible terrible end to all of them, staying in his head with his teeth clenched together. He'd given up trying to persuade Penny's actions as a driver only after most of the other adults in the car pointed out why she had to do what she was doing.

When they arrived at the base of what had been Mount Everfrost conformation was apparent the right people working for HAPPY had been contacted and had been hard at work. The scene was a mess but that didn't matter. What mattered was success. Had the team working at the sight uncovered the suspect rupture in reality? Everyone wondered this as the teen slowed the Toyota to a crawl on the dirt road. The inspector more curious about that wanted insight than the rest until a thought hit him.

What he called his owl trick. He was forced to face looking back towards the death bringing flock of birds he had to force towards him. Everyone else no. They didn't have to keep their eyes focused on what he had to. Only the analyst paid that any mind but not constantly. Jake only noted what could be caught of the birds on rare sight when they were within viewing range. Mostly they'd felt lucky the animals couldn't fly at the speed the car was being driven at. When the former JOY Agent had seen them. A task which only took place by the man getting up from his seat to peer up and out through the sunroof in the proper direction. When John had told him, he had caught sight of them. This prompting of course afterwards when the older man noted what he saw, to make adjustments if needed to the tuner he was holding.

Eyes forward all of them but the one tasked with bringing in their unwanted but needed feathered plague bringers. The owl trick normally made everyone who saw it feel unease being around him. Given except the MAD Agent, who wasn't paying attention to him, and the former JOY Agent who was. A man that didn't seem easily shaken. When John had remembered the unnatural trick he could do, the other man having seen it once before and it not bothering him. Enacting it unconcerned, he saw what everyone else did with his head on backwards. Bulldozers of various sizes littered about the area with mounds of dirt & rock in loose piles around the former mountain. A single unmarked police car and a worrisome sight. A single ambulance with it's lights flashing.

John wanted to leave the confines of the car as soon as he saw the two vehicles that had no affiliation with construction work. Knowing her uncle well, Penny put a hand on him to remind him not to move forward with the thoughts she was sure he was having. The engineer not missing he had a duly to fulfill because of his partner's repugnant positioning. Alan left his seat and told them as he unlocked the door nearest him to leave. "Guys, it's hopefully not bad. I'm going to check into it. No one move."

The tech had looked directly at the security systems analyst when saying his last words. Jake didn't react at all to them as he watched with the rest as the HAPPY Agent left the car, shutting the door behind him. As he ran off towards the police car in the distance. One reaction had come from his departing. Finch felt better every time the other man was away from him. Yes, he hated the guy. He wished nothing but harm to the man, but currently he could do nothing to bring out his despise of the strange off & on flyer. At least he had been able to take advantage of the code named Capeman's presence. Although it would be sometime before he could investigate what he'd obtained exactly. Grinning at seeing Engenis go away, and thinking of what he might have from him if luck had been on his side when the theft of data had occurred. When Jake caught sight of the MAD Agent's look, remembering when the Specialized Agent had put them through earlier with the near accident. Taking a tighter grip on the tuner, removing one hand from the gadget, he slapped the bird shepherd across the side of his head.

"What was that for?!" Finch asked, rubbing where he'd been hit.

"You are trouble. That man who just left told me back in Miles City he's gone against you before and won. No ideas, here ok? Those of us that care about others, want this to succeed." Jake let out, sternly. Focusing his attention in between the MAD Agent and running HAPPY Agent, nearly at the police car, while he'd spoken.

"Ass," the Specialized Agent proclaimed, leaning back into the backseat as best he could under the cramped conditions inside the modded Supra.

"Please curb your language down there!" John shouted, down into the car from his place out of the vehicle's roof.

It was not the first time her uncle had prompted that. It was over her and she felt tired of it. She was far from being unfamiliar with cursing and had heard plenty of it before she had decided to tag along with him on assignments. She's heard wealth of it back in her old home town of Coligny Circle, and current home Metro City. The man's continuous verbal fight on her behalf to try and keep her from hearing bad language was something she had stopped trying to educate him about months ago. Wanting to change subject matter of what was being discussed, she queried openingly a thought which had been on her mind for a while.

"Your whole thing is birds. How can this not bother you what we're up to? I'd expect protest but you haven't said much in the way of that."

Snorting, then attempting to cross his arms across his chest only to discover it was a difficult task. After a second, Finch replied. "Those birds aren't natural creations. They can't think, they just do as ordered. While I order aves, I order ones which can think for themselves. These ones are nothing but mindless puppets."

Once he'd taken in the words spoken by the MAD Agent. The inspector felt for him something he held as rare towards those of the transgressing organization the guy worked for, respect. The criminal had apparently by circumstantial evidence decided not to take a mission for MAD which would normally fall into his area of expertise. From what John knew of how MAD worked having had a few talks with Sebastian Marinovich or iRouge, as he sometimes requested people call him instead. Refusal to work or even do unauthorized work, typically meant death. Finch had not taken a job out of being a decent human being for once and for some reason had been spared a bad fate. Although that would also explain further why the man's co-workers had been so eager to turn him over to HAPPY's custody, beyond what Anatech had surmised at first.

\-----

After not having paid mind to the first two hesitant knocks on the driver's side window. Chief Quimby couldn't dismiss the following ones as much as he'd wished he could have. The man trying to get his attention wasn't one of the workers he'd been dealing with in the upheaval of the scattered earth around them. He wasn't of the EMS team brought in from Kalispell to deal with the health hazard which had been discovered during the upheaval of the scattered earth. Not the inspector who'd ordered the task to start with. This was his partner, a man whom Charles Quimby wished he had no association with. The Chief would have felt more inclined to roll down the window if it had been Heyward's new help. At least he wasn't a nuisance he was familiar with and maybe even better company than this man.

When the knocking became a little more insistent, that is when he gave up attempting to ignore the man. Maybe just maybe the engineer had something relevant to say, he actually cared to hear. As the window pane slid down into the door slot that held it when not in use. Trying to make his look speak the annoyance he felt. Chief Quimby glared at Alan as he started talking by asking, "what's wrong?"

Surprised the tech hadn't already deduced what happen occurred since he surely knew what had been initiated at his partner's prompting on a hopefully founded bet. The supervisor HAPPY Agent replied. "Some kind of a gas seeping out from the hole uncovered from the remains of MAD being here. I don't know what it is but we were never meant to breathe it."

Acknowledgement with a mild version of what the chief and others called Alan's "Cheshire Cat grin". To Charles it felt unfounded but to the leader of Team Launched Bug, it felt otherwise. Relaying his thoughts about what he'd just been told, the tech said. "If it's what I think it is, you're right. This effort was worth it," seemingly catching himself. Once he had taken a deep breath, Alan continued. "I'm sorry, are our guys going to be ok?"

Feeling despondent completely dropping his look of annoyance. Chief Quimby opened the door nearest him to get out of the police car to answer. "I can only hope. They're going to be taken to the nearest hospital to get checked out."

"The Inspector got directly exposed to it the first time he was here. When him, Skinie, and I returned, we were prepared." Alan told his superior on matters involving law enforcement.

Leaning against side of the car, facing away from the tech. A mix of hope and doubt playing out in his thoughts. The Chief queried, "since you hoped this was coming Engenis, are you guys prepared this time?"

No answer came. Charles had been expecting the normally chatty man to have an answer for him. Turning away from scenic but disrupted nature to what had once been part of the site for Mt. Everfrost. He saw Alan's reply on his face and in his body language. The tech was blushing and his head was hung low. Seeing this, seeing there was a clear problem. The law officer asked, "should I stop this right now?"

Mentally shaking away his shame enough to speak, the engineer slowly said. "It's needed. I'll warn John and Jake."

"Jake?" The unknown name in all this caught the chief by surprise. Before he could put in another word to ask about who Jake was, Alan stated.

"Who the guys in San Francisco thought was John, Inspector Gadget. Another cyborg, good guy. Other words too, to describe him and not all polite."

His guard dog nature kicking in. To the inspector's new help and just learning the man might be some form of renew from MAD's Elite employee program or total unknown. Unknown being a hair raising possibility in his opinion since the guy had to have complex machinery in him, enough to get him mistaken for the inspector. Who the hell had provided that to him if not anyone he knew of? Could he be trusted? Was this Jake person from a country HAPPY had warm affiliation ties with? But rather than create a mess where one might not exist. Not wanting to complicate things for the time being. Chief Quimby asked, "so he's the help with this?"

Letting out a sigh through his nose, the superior waited for his subordinate to answer him. Alan wasn't fine with what was going on and that meant those who would come to be effected by what he was helping take place. They shouldn't be fine with it as well. Something was wrong here. Finally showing he'd gained the composure to say what he needed to in reply, the tech spoke, "yes."

About to speak, annoyed that single word was all that could be said for whatever was riding the younger man's mind. The engineer beat the chief by a split second on the need for further elaboration. "Chief, everyone should leave here. Those little plague carriers are hot on our tail."

No words were needed to be said in his opinion. Giving the leader to Launched Bug, a look of exaggerated question. Chief Quimby waited not very long for the man to continue saying what by all means he should. "The gang and I, we're going to try and keep out of harm's way."

The guy could have waited another moment more to engaging in direct conversation. Although Charles found it unnecessary to try and point that out to him. Time wasn't on their side. No one wanted to fall prey to what MAD had started and Inspector Gadget & his companions were gearing up to finish. If this were to have an least a halfway decent happy ending, things needed to get rolling in a better direction at least for those near by. That knowledge had dawned on the inventor, this coming to light in the simplest of ways as he said at last in a run back to the Gadgetmobile, "pray."

Rolling down a window wasn't needed. The sunroof however partially blocked would do. It loosing it's trapped occupant was an event in the works as Alan reached the old Toyota. John was carefully trying to worm up through it while at the same time trying to keep his arms in their positioning of reaching skyward. The limbs held up towards the unseen but sure to be seen soon, flock of birds heading towards where he was. Not only has the inspector trying his best not to break his arms from their pointed direction, he was also trying to ensure another thing was kept unbroken. The wires linked into him, connected to the fine tuner his unofficial work partner was holding. Catching sight of his official work partner out the side of one eye, as he continued with his struggle. John queried, "what is going on?"

"J," Alan was having a hard time bringing himself to say what he had to. Rethinking his words and their direction, he voiced his reply to the inspector and still fully inside the car, analyst. "John, Jake you two are going to have to have faith in demons."

Reaching up through the sunroof, now most of the way cleared of the car's owner. The former JOY Agent trying to neatly place the tuner on the car's roof ahead of himself. Jake replied back, "I never have faith in demons. One too many times of being at odds with them."

"RAGE is going to have them working on a cure remember?" The engineer stated, as he watched the former stranger emerge further from the modded Supra, with mild struggle entailed in the event.

When the older man sat almost entirely on the vehicle's roof. With a grim expression on his face, he stared at the man nearly a decade younger than him, outside the transport. One leg still dangling down halfway into the car. When he started lightly swaying it, while thinking. A set of hands inside the car with slender fingers grabbed it to stop the movement. It having struck the HAPPY Agent on the roof with him what was being talked about. John told him, "it hit me from the start that problem might happen. We might get lucky and simply just get sick."

"Jake?" The inspector had to wonder with the silence of his unofficial partner, how he was taking this.

Slowly removing his drooping leg from the Gadgetmobile's interior. Looking towards the sky at first to where they all knew the birds would be coming from. To then have his look of melancholy change. The self taught bio-technician's face now portraying a smirk across his mouth & cheek with acceptance mixed in, shown by his eyes. His focus now on the super HAPPY Agent sitting beside him. Jake answered, "John, we are knights with shining armor built into us. It's worth the risk."

\-----

Finding what was uncovered by the bulldozers wasn't hard considering the path they had created when doing their job. The most heavily traveled, flattened area of the former mountain which had also served as MAD's original HQ. Knowing he should know better, Jake took in a whiff of the gases seeping up though the cavern that had been uncovered. Coughing in reaction, John just shook his head about what the former JOY Agent had done.

"Toxic, remember my description?" The inspector stated, hoping to drive it into the other man's head what he'd just inhaled and should never try to do so again.

Letting out a hoarse last cough, the analyst told him. "Please forgive me if I don't always believe your words. I've seen RAGE connect to other realms before but have known better than to venture into them, or at least to the lip of their mouths."

Creaking and grinding sounds coming from off in the distance. This added into the sounds they had been hearing of the moving away of the construction equipment with extra company following it in tune. Jake watched a sight he had heard spoken of but had not witnessed until now. All the Gadgetmobile's occupants outside it with the exception of one. John's normal work partner. All of them were being witness to the vehicle transform it's self from a car to a mini-jet. One exception further, all but one was watching this take place. John had no interest in it.

Amazement keeping him from finding the right words to say at first about the marvel he'd just seen. When Jake saw the main party return to the now flight worthy transport, to then witness the engineer jump down out of it. He finally let out with, "why did that friend of yours just do that? Why do we need a small jet? We know what is coming, it can't be avoided."

Not in the best of moods. Trying to keep from letting that enter his voice. John commented, "They likely won't be in danger with it in normal car mode or hovercraft mode. It being a miniature jet. It becomes more air-tight when it's in that mode. I figure that has to be Alan's reasoning."

It had not been kept entirely out of his voice, how the inspector felt about things. The words had not been said but the analyst certainly knew he wasn't ok with what had been talked about when the last of the modifications were being made to the implants in his hands. This was a sacrifice on his part but if it didn't happen the result to other action taken would be of a much worse outcome. Jake wanted to keep the HAPPY Agent's mind off what was going to happen soon. Thankfully his fascination with the former car paid off to provide that. It wasn't as interesting to look at now that it's transformation was complete. What was interesting was what had just started happening right by it. People and dogs, those that had left the vehicle while it had been changing. Them now back inside the contraption. Now outside it rather than operating it. The other HAPPY Agent had just started into something the former JOY Agent had his mouth drop open over.

Something Jake would normally attribute only to supernatural phenomena. John's partner rising into the air like he was floating into it by an invisible propellant. Whatever was making the man aloft, the security systems analyst had doubt it was something by unnatural law. These didn't seem like the sort of people who dabbled in that sort of thing. While it was true he and the inspector were standing on the edge of a sheer drop to a hole leading to an unsightly kingdom of malice normally beyond the reach of man, far below. The HAPPY Agent had not created it and MAD had opened a breach to it by mistake apparently. Therefore what ever was helping Alan into the air had to be some form of technology.

To give John something to think about that wasn't bad hopefully. Jake commented, "Your friend, that guy that acts like he knows it all on Bio-Technology. He's flying. Tell me what I'm missing here because I don't see him holding a magic feather?"

Not bothering to glance in the direction of his normal work partner. Not wanting either to look to the sky at where his hands were raised to. But instead with his eyes closed to do the futile act of trying to forget his situation. The want for more enjoyable thoughts than that of failure. He had tried long ago to keep this evil at bay. Keep it from condemning those who had lived on it's verge unknowingly for years, away from a fate worse than jail imprisonment. He had been the one to order the destruction of this place. Those that would have found themselves in the realm of hate, spared and only part brought to justice for their crimes. Those who had escaped the law's grasp, some of them being the cause of what was happening today. A discovery in that what he thought, had hoped had been obliterated, was still down there. An exposed place infringing on the earth like a titanic beast with no eyes but a throat that from it to the mind, whispered to man's subconscious to do evil. The HAPPY Agent feared even to see it in a nightmare. In a low voice, John answered. "Alan's cape. It's an invention of his. No feather."

"Interesting, I wonder how he'd get along with a friend of mine." Jake replied, trying to stay on track to brighten the mood of his companion.

"I bet he is checking for the birds." Turning his attention at least towards the former JOY Agent a little. The HAPPY Agent added, "I don't see how he would relate to Ms. Tabin. She doesn't seem like the sort he'd normally hang out with."

"Myron Fricker, not Heather. Myron, he's the guy primarily responsible for me being what I am. At least in altered body although I guess in other respects too. Heather and him, they aren't a pair either despite that the guy tried to pursue her for a long time." Jake answered, to clear up to which friend he had meant. Explaining the one not mentioned before. He whom the inspector had not needed to speak with earlier to have it elaborated to him, the analyst was far from a bad person.

"Fricker? Oh, that's rich. I should tell Alan about your friend. I," John had a smile enter his face as he spoke to then add. "I think they should talk. Fricker, Alan mentioned him with a few other names when he and I were in Sweden not long ago."

Amused, Jake gave John a light pat on the back. Then with his mind buzzing with questions he knew he needed to whittle down. The man asked, "that's where he's from. He still goes back there every now and then. Don't tell me you two were trying to seek him out?"

"No, no we were in Sweden for the Cybathlon Meet & training." John proclaimed before taking in air sharply, to say. "HAPPY's little idea, not my thing."

"They're in sight! Guys get ready now!" The shout had come from Alan. The man had been doing exactly as the inspector had suspected he was. Keeping an eye out for the flock, doing so at a height only feathered flyers and bats were ever truly meant for.

Repressing the groan he felt, John finally looked towards where his hands were reaching for. He could see them now and even though he knew what he was about to do. In the grand scheme of his life, he knew a tit for tat about it was not only unethical, it was laughable to fight it. The thoughtless animals coming ever closer. His friend flying down towards the mini-jet to take cover inside it. A pit created from emotion forming in his gut as he stood on the edge of a real pit. Trying to go with what the former JOY Agent was trying to do. Think of other things. John thought of a question he knew he could only ask another like himself at this time. "Has being a cyborg ever given you reason to fear for your safety?!"

With barely a pause given Jake answered. "Only in the company of gremlins and New Year's Eve 1999. Part of my brain is added on computer. That is the only night of my life I have ever felt I needed a good drink."

It wasn't funny. He himself had feared the idea of the millennium bug, but in hindsight of it. The terror, the prospect of it the media had bought into people's consciousness. This former Joy Agent had feared it, a man that had apparently lived as a steward to upholding the law without having a badge for the act. He had been in a decades long feud with an organization John had only learned of months back and held no hostile feelings for. People no, creatures working for the establishment, working now on a cure to what himself and his close company, were about to get exposed to. As different and as same as Anatech was to him, he sadly took it for amusing what he'd been through.

Keeping from laughing, John said. "I'm sorry please forgive me. That's so, that's so," the inspector for HAPPY couldn't finish his words. So the former JOY Agent finished them in a guess.

"Except for the gremlins part it was silly, I know."

The aves now almost on top of them, seconds from contact. Crying out his words in excitement for no other reason. Jake being too near by to warrant the need for his voice to be heightened. Moving his arms to point his hands down towards the pit that led into a realm of hate. John said, "Now, yank now as hard as you can!"

Jake's effort to rip out the implants in John's hands, wired to the fine tuner he'd been holding. It wasn't a hard task. The alteration to the younger cyborg's palms of changing his EMP pulse gun into a magnetic revision pulse creator. The modification had been given a connection which meant could it be broken from the man's body in a snap if need be on the fly. The gadget in it's entirety broken away from the inspector's body like the losing of primary teeth to a child. It held it's charge after being disconnected from it's former host. Button sized batteries installed that only were meant to kick in once the twin devices had lost their feed of electricity generated from the microsized turbines near John's heart.

The flock of diseased birds flew without question at the set of twin gadgets as they fell into the depths of the pit, towards their destination. Their fate of no concern to themselves. Their lives not even a thought what they were, or impulse to do other than base instinct. All that mattered was what they was driven to do. Find where they belonged and stay there.

John when feeling the tug on him. His instinct kicked in but he knew must fight it. Let Jake take a part of what was his hands and toss it into the hollow. When he had let the act happen, he fell backwards on to the ground behind him. A quick way to keep himself from being accidentally pulled into falling towards a different direction he'd never get back up from.

Jake after he had ripped out the devices from the inspector's hands. Detaching his personal thoughts about the act due to knowing he too had his own palm placed gadgets. He fell as well but not in the same direction as the HAPPY Agent. Not the pit, he hit the ground sideways, causing him to roll a little down the slope of the former mountain in the act.

Neither man was hit by the aves as they flew by much to their relief. Only the occasional stray feather left the genetically engineered birds' bodies. One seemed to find the analyst or at least that was how Jake wanted to interpret the floating down action of the inanimate object. Blowing, puffing out air as forcefully and quickly as he could. The former JOY Agent wanted none for it's company. How dare it invade his space and cause him to get sick or worse. He didn't want to fall prey to what many others had already including a young man he had helped raise. What meanness it meant for him if it did that, touch him. That would mean he would have to hope enemies to him, would have to tend to him if they cared to at all.

Directing the molted feather to keep away from him. Getting up from where he had rolled to, backing away from it, puffing air at the plague carrying plume. John took to watching him as the gestures in cowardness took place, drawing to a close. Jake directing the object of perceived to have spite, on to the ground away from himself. Feeling a small degree of pain from the amputation of the interior to his palms. Seeing his new friend act in a way which more seemed like something he'd expect to witness from an adolescent than a guy with four years on him. It made the pain feel less so then it really was.

Satisfied he had won his fight with the opponent laying on the ground near by. Taking a seat on large rock, Jake saw now he had been observed in his air blowing battle with the feather. Noticing John's attention fixed on him, he wasn't sure what to say in defending himself, moving his mouth in shock with no words coming out. The inspector broke the silence to ask. "Has anyone ever told you you're a little immature for your age?"

"Yes Inspector, I'm a boy at heart and I plan to never let passing years change that." Jake answered, as he picked up a single stone and threw it at the fallen quill of red & black.

  
The End

  
Epilogue

  
"Does anyone know Who authorized the expense of a trip on Emirates, first class seating from Bengaluru, India?" Ira Tyler shouted this as he walked into the room which operated as an office to not only himself, but a few other HAPPY Agents as well.

The IT department for the Metro City Hub. It strangely wasn't very large as it's employees pointed out to people working in other areas of the organization, who wondered about them. It was just one big room, with sectioned off cozy areas for each of it's staff to call their own personal workspaces. Their job was important, just not as noticeable as what others did. HAPPY had lots of computers in it and even a network all those computers utilized, "The On-X" or stated formally, The Online Xebec. On-X could only be accessed by computers operating within hub underground or people with administrative authority topside. Such things as international flights needed administrative permission to happen.

Nothing had been buzzed around in the news of general chatter among staff which would have cleared this up in advance of Ira's question. It was an unexpected expense which had been discovered, that while HAPPY had covered it with ease. The vital question was there, who had done the act of creating it? Had no name been attached to the transaction? None of them of course had permission to use On-X for themselves as a tool beyond fixing bugs in it and maintaining it. Reagan Boyce didn't like the idea someone could have done something mischievous with the network. Being one of Tyler's favorites, in dealing with jobs which cried out this was beyond a simple end user's ability to preform. She felt the need to ask about what had her supervisor so flustered. "No name in the record at all?"

Frowning before replying, not proud of himself. Ira told her, "there was a name attached."

Drumming her fingers on her desk, Reagan raised an eyebrow at her superior. Something was missing in this equation of a mystery and it had to be troublesome. Why else would he be acting this way? Poking at him for his supposed enigma he wasn't being completely forthwith about to HAPPY's records. Figuring maybe fatigue had something to do with that, she queried him. "Too much work lately?"

Eyes downcast with head bowed, Ira replied. "Mister Kiss underscore My underscore," biting his lip he stopped relaying the name uncovered.

Miss. Boyce had not been the only one in the room to notice Tyler's question. Everyone had and now it wasn't just Reagan being vocal digging into the matter at hand. Moving out of his assigned space, Norbert Codd asked. "Can I take a stab at what comes after that last underscore? Three letter word right?"

"I couldn't bring myself to say it, but yes you are right." The supervisor stated, before wondering aloud, "did you give the authorization, Norbert?"

Huffing, Norbert returned his focus back to his work area and snipped. "An easy guess to the smart aleck. No, I wouldn't do such a thing. I like my job and don't like flying."

Looks were exchanged between all present in the room with the exception of Norbert. In petty protest to the mistaken finger pointed at him in question. He tried his best to type on his computer's keyboard as loudly as possible. None of them with a further interest in the mystery to that of having ideas how to go from where they were. No information evidently beyond a false name used. This wasn't much their field of expertise, an apparent hacker.

It hitting Ira like a brick he knew what should have done from the start of this. A hopeful fast way to clear things up for records and get to the bottom of this. Likely even getting the law enforcement side of HAPPY in on it considering the nature of what had taken place. Making a show of his dominance to his subordinates he had this all well in hand, he said to them. "We have a new Investigator right? An Information Technology Investigator, he can figure this out. Hackers are his big problem to deal with, not ours."

Scanning the room, for the man Ira sought. He caught no sight of him and before Tyler's underlings could point out why that was. Bolting towards the door leading out of the office he proclaimed, "the man hasn't been assigned a spot yet. Still temp, still where HAPPY sends it's staff as the bureaucratic shuffle plays out!"

After their most direct boss had left them, the room's door slammed behind him. Nothing bad meant by what he'd forcefully done but attention getting. Speaking up on what she felt was on behalf of all witnesses to Ira's actions. Reagan in an announcing way said. "Too much work lately and who is feeling brave about checking on how his supply of coffee is doing?"

\-----

Free for anyone to move through, that fact for where he was working bothered the new employee for HAPPY immensely. He knew what he was doing, a new start, the turning over of a new leaf. But if that were to be successful he'd damn well better get their trust before any one saw him and figured out they might have seen him before. It being a favored note on his being, most people here, he knew they had never met him before. That didn't discount what if they had seen his criminal record that of course included a photograph of his face. Just that one piece of information on him made him think that his former boss really knew what he was doing. Keeping his face hidden all the time, even from his employees.

Wearing a hat with a low brim and scarf wouldn't help. It was too late for that and he had no excuse to start imitating a guy that if he ever discovered the defection, would without doubt have him killed. Sanjay didn't want to be singled out with that label as others had in the past, that in one way or another had crossed the man wrong. Besides it was still a bad idea since to hopefully keep himself away from harm. People knowing who he was or at least who he allowed them to believe he was, that was important. A whole giant gang of through and true do-gooders to keep him out of a bullet's path or other causes of fatal injury.

His new work computer fully booted up now, he admired the rate it moved at and wondered about the machine's technical specs. Sure he owned a sweet machine himself, but he had not felt the need to upgrade it's hardware for sometime. Getting it away from his former co-workers behind their backs had not been an easy job and he felt grateful he'd accomplished it at all. The figurative underground he had been used to living in for years. The rumors he'd heard through out it of MAD leaving it's meant to be temporary base at Weda' Dembai Lake. When he had made a grab for his things left behind in his house boat living quarters, he heard discussions take place confirming the rumors. Lucky for him what he had heard said he was timing his grab well. His former work associates would be leaving for a to be bought new headquarters in a few weeks. Now if their plans had panned out. Now they should be in the place where ever that was, or at least they were about to get into it.

About to check out what kind of hardware he'd been given for his new line of work. A blotch of blur of movement down on the floor caught his attention, in racing out the corner of his vision. A bug? No, whatever it was, it was a little too large to be called that unless it hailed from a tropical rainforest.

Fast walking into No Man's Lounge as it had been dubbed, Ira caught the IT Investigator examining the floor without leaving the chair he was sitting in. Mystified by the man's behavior, the supervisor felt inclined to ask him. "Something interesting about the ground Mr. Nye Darnot?"

"An insect or mouse, something just ran across the floor." Sanjay replied, turning to look at his first boss ranking above him.

Approaching the man that unless his resume was a lie, one heck of a data digger. Ira told him, "a shrew likely. They escape Area 38 regularly the guy is hard to catch."

Blinking in puzzlement to what he'd just heard. Sanjay Francks under the guise cover of middle & last names combined to form Nye Darnot. The former MAD Agent knew it sounded wrong what he'd just heard and at the same time it rang a bell in his mind. Without truly focusing on that rung bell in his memory. Sanjay asked, "he a shrew? Area 38, what is that?"

"Secure Medical Detention, we have to place people down there on occasion. The shrew you likely saw, it, that's a peculiar thing to define bizarre. It's a," again Ira was having a hard time saying what he knew he had to. Although explaining a man HAPPY was keeping prisoner for the time being until they could find a better place for him. That wasn't important right now so changing tracks the supervisor stated. "It's important, the rodent, rodents to who is being held in the detention area there. Not important right now. Mr. Nye Darnot, I need you to do your first assignment here. Feel up for it?"

"Sure, what is it?" Sanjay asked, trying to push to the back of his mind the revelation that had just dawned on him after what he'd just been told. The bell that had rung in his mind, it was important what he had remembered. Being prone to panic when he knew danger might be upon him. He wondered if he had to worry about what he'd just figured out minus his first boss explaining in full the noted person in Area 38. Was the man still as insane as last MAD knew? Could he be a threat to him? Fortunately for the former Specialized Agent, the shiver he felt up his spine was only emotional and not visibly presentable. If it had been the former, he would not have liked having to decipher it's meaning to Tyler.

"An unauthorized expense in the system. Some one some how got into On-X and got HAPPY to pay for an international flight." Ira stated, before taking a deep breath, while rubbing the back of his neck, to then go on. "There is a name but it's completely fake what is attached to the data. I need you to find out who did this."

"The fake name is," the supervisor of the IT department winced before bringing himself to say, "is Mister Kiss underscore My underscore Ass."

"Kiss my ass, got it! I'll uncover who broke in and cost us money!" Sanjay said, saluting Ira. He had known it might be discovered what he had done. His ventures over time had almost always been untraceable and if someone had discovered he had done something illegal. That was when normally MAD came to bat for him and acted as clean up although usually in a messy way he wasn't too fond on knowing had happened. The name he had invented, the one not attached to his newly created social security number. That identification he felt ok with having been uncovered to an extent. After all the clean up to this venture? He was it. They could all kiss his ass without knowing it.

No smile had broke across the investigator's face when he had proclaimed he would do his job. The former MAD Agent knew how to hold his tongue even in his expressions. The HAPPY Agent standing before him however did smile to then end his talk with the new agent under him saying. "Good then, and when you're done, email me your findings after you've filed them ok? I'll make sure beyond your record keeping, the law is prompted to take the next step in this case."

Nodding in satisfaction Mr. Nye Darnot had accepted his job with vigor. Tyler left the No Man's Lounge for the one man working in it to get to his job. Enthusiasm, that was a sign Ira took for the man being green to HAPPY but also a show he had done right in accepting the investigator into his fold. Sanjay had seemed to come from out of no where among people just come out of pending for employment but his work history said it all. The man had helped a major corporation for over ten years track down in data digging those that had meant to harm it. Plus bringing to light those who had in fact hurt it, so they could be penalized for their actions.

Making a show of tapping on his computer's keyboard to take the first step to implicate a fiction for a crime he had committed. The former MAD Agent noticed he had a new visitor in his company. Just come from out of hiding somewhere on the countertop he was sitting in front of, another shrew. Or maybe the same one he had seen earlier?

Addressing the cyborg rodent, Sanjay told it. "I know who you are. Are you here to cost me my new job? Spoil my fun?"

The altered rodent squeaked at him as it's from of reply. Lifting it's nose with microsized USB port into the air to further show acknowledgement to what the remote connected man had heard. The former MAD Agent who had left the organization on more quiet terms. He made a disgusted with annoyance face at the former MAD Agent that had left their previous employer in an unsettling and loutish way.

Refusal to be taken down by MAD's first to continue living failure of it's abandoned Elite program. The former Specialized Agent threatened him as best he thought possible under the circumstance he found himself in to confronting the man's brain minion. "How would you like to have a meeting with the underside to my shoe?"

Message received through his personal wi-fi frequency band, down to where he was in Area 38. Narrowed eyes with a sharper sounding higher squeak than voiced before, was iRogue's remotely given answer to his former co-worker. That and scurrying away as fast as he could out of Sanjay's sight.


End file.
